Take Care
by Xttatic
Summary: After Billy dies, Tim does whatever is necessary to make a living. Even if it meant having a lifestyle he never wanted.
1. Life, Loss, Leaving

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING.**

**Setting: Very early season 2.**

* * *

**chapter one**

**life, loss, leaving**

Julie couldn't stand her parents right now. Either of them. Her mom had been way up in her business these last few months. Her dad was waltzing back into their lives after eight months, trying to take control of everything like he never left. Trying to be 'the man' again. It was a madhouse. That was an understatement. Her mother couldn't understand that she was growing up and needed time to herself. She practically hovered for a week when she broke up with Matt, wondering what happened and who broke up with who. The cherry on top of the cake was when her mother drug her out of Anton's van and slapped her in the face last night. Yeah, that was the worst.

The sunlight was pouring in through Julie's bedroom windows as she woke up. She was glad it was a weekend. That meant she could get away from the house for a while and that's exactly what she needed.

Julie got out of bed and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. It wasn't all that messy so she threw it into a lazy bun before changing clothes. Her mom was up with Gracie in the living room so she rolled her eyes and sucked it up. They were going to have to talk to each other sometime.

Breakfast had already been made and what was left was for her. She served herself some bacon and eggs and waited to see if her mother would initiate a conversation. She did.

"Hey, Jules."

Julie knew the tone. She was going to apologize.

"Julie, I'm sorry." Tami sighed. "I am. I really can't believe I did that."

"It's okay, mom." She was glad her dad was gone. Her mom didn't care as much when she cursed. "I don't know what my problem was. I was being a bitch. I'm sorry, too."

She really was being a bitch. It seemed to be stemming from this slight jealousy problem with little Gracie. Julie had been so used to being an only child for the last fifteen years and since Gracie was born all attention went to her. It was definietly childish but she couldn't help how she felt.

"Come here and sit down. I wanna talk to you about this boy. The Swede. Whatever."

Julie left her plate on the counter and joined Tami on the couch. She dreaded what they were about to talk about.

"Now, honey... I-I know you don't wanna hear this as much as I don't wanna ask it but, um-. Gosh, I don't know how else to say it other then to just say it." Tami took a deep breath and asked her daughter the question she didn't want to know the answer to. "Are you having... like... sexual feelings for boys?"

"Oh my God, mom!" Julie exclaimed. This was so not the conversation she wanted to have to start the day. It was horrifying. "I-uh..." She really didn't know how to answer the question. She didn't know the answers to several questions that were going through her mind right now. What was she doing chasing a guy like Anton? What would she have done in his van if her mother didn't catch them in the driveway? Was she even ready to go all the way? There were too many things going on in her brain it was giving her a headache. "I don't know. I-I just know that I'm totally done with guys right now. I need to focus on myself for a while. Yeah, that's what I need to do."

Tami was relieved a little by her daughters answer. It still left her to wonder about Julie's full intentions with boys at the moment but at least she was currently taking a break from them. That was comforting for the time being. Gracie was starting to fuss so her attention was immedietly turned away from the conversation they were having.

Julie saw that as her exit and made her way back to her eggs and bacon.

* * *

It was an accident. Just one of those accidents you see on the news for a few moments time before it was on to the next story of the night. Nobody ever thought those reports would affect their lives. Tim couldn't feel his body. He was numb. In shock. His stomach felt like it was rotting and ripping itself up. Billy's white Bronco had smashed head on into another car. It flipped and ended up in a ditch upside down. Billy was found dead.

Tim cursed himself for being pissed at Billy the last time they saw each other. He'd just found out that his brother had been sleeping with Jackie behind his back so he confronted Billy later that day. The argument didn't last long before Tim stormed out of the house. He'd gone out to Tyra's. It was the only place in the world that had a couch with his name on it. He didn't even see Billy the next day which just so happened to be the day. He'd gone straight to school from Tyra's.

It had been a few days since the accident and the house felt odd. Tim was sitting in the living room with the quiet ringing of silence in his ears. It had been weird these last few days without Billy. The first few nights, when Tim was in the house alone, it had almost felt like Billy would come walking through the front door any second, grab a beer from the fridge while offering him one as well. It was almost too unbearable, that he wanted to call Tyra and stay with her. Or have her stay with him but he made the decision to stay alone and deal.

The beers weren't doing much and he just wished there was something else that could take his mind off of what was going on. Something that could temporarily take the pain away. He knew that is was selfish of him to want such things but it didn't matter. Nothing was going to be the same anymore. What was he going to do now? He was a seventeen year old kid with not a dime to his name.

* * *

Julie finally got herself out of the house well past noon. It was closer to evening then afternoon. What was she going to do now? She'd found herself driving the way towards her best friends house. She could use a little girl time with Tyra. When she pulled in, Tyra's mom was out in the yard watering some plants. She waved at Julie and Julie waved back. Mrs. Collette had told her she was welcome over anytime back when she'd just started hanging around Tyra.

"Go on in, honey. Tyra's in there somewhere."

Julie found Tyra in her bedroom. The older girl was folding some clothes on her bed.

"Hey, Julie. What are you doing?"

"Just thought I'd come see how my bestie was doing." She laid her keys on Tyra's dresser and joined her on the bed. "So, what's up?"

"I've been okay, just been busy at work and stuff. Got the funeral on Monday."

Julie was confused. "What funeral? What happened, Tyra?"

Now Tyra was confused. "You haven't heard? How have you not heard?" She really wondered how Julie hadn't heard. It was a terrible tradgey that shouldn't have happened. "Billy... Billiy died."

"As in..." Julie was shocked.

"Yeah." Tyra answered. "Tim's brother."

"Oh, shit. Uh, how's Tim?" Tim was the first thing to cross Julie's mind. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Her stomach cringed in pain for him. She missed him.

"He says he's okay... but we know better then that. He hasn't answered my calls for a few days now." Tyra was getting worried but she didn't want to make an uninvited visit at a time like this for Tim. She had no idea why he'd want to be alone _especially_ at a time like this. She knew she would need someone if anything happened to somebody that close to her. She knew he was drinking. It was how he got through life. That and sex.

Billy had always been there for Tim. He was much older then Tim but acted like more then just a brother since they were both young. He gave up a scholarship to take in Tim when he was thirteen and their father ran out on him. Everybody in his life has left him... and now Billy. It was so sad.

"I've got to go see him." Julie spoke after a few minuets of silence between the girls. "Would you come, Tyra?"

"I would if I didn't have to work tonight." Tyra said. She did want to know how Tim was doing but it felt intrusive. Fuck intrusive. She thought. "You go now. I'm off at ten, then I'll call you."

"Sounds good." Julie got off the bed and grabbed her keys. "I'll text you and keep you posted, okay? Text me when you can."

* * *

Tim was sitting on the couch. The television was on and droning about some commercial, but that couldn't hold his attention. Tim's gaze was fixed on Billy's bedroom door which had been closed this whole time, the way Billy left it. He wanted to go in there and just feel surrounded by his brother but something was holding him back from doing just that.

A knock at his front door stirred him from his thoughts. He set his beer on the crowded coffee table and got up to see who was there.

"Who is it?" He called through the door.

"It's Brianna. Um, I was, uh, friends... with Billy."

Tim peered through the peephole and saw this odd looking blonde girl. She didn't look like the type of person that would have been close to his brother. He opened the door to her. Her voice made her sound like she was young but her looks definietly betrayed her.

"Yeah?"

"I-um... I'm really s-sorry about your brother. He was a nice guy." She was quiet for a moment. "Did you figure it out yet?"

"Figure what out?" Tim was curious about what this stuttering, junkie look-a-like was talking about.

"Billy's side work."

"What are you talking about? What side work?" He paused. "You're being really wierd."

"You would know, if you had figured it out." She reached out her hand with a crumpled piece of paper. "Here. Call when you're ready. Jordan's waiting to hear from you. We all need money, right?"

Tim was left confused and speechless as she walked away from his house. Why would she come up to the house like that and ask him strange questions. He closed the door and locked the deadbolt. And who was Jordan?

He was dwelling on the encounter with Brianna a while later when there was another sudden knock at his door. Who could it have been now?

"Yeah?" He called from the bar stool he was sitting on.

"Hey, Tim. It's Julie."

His head perked up when she said her name. He hadn't seen her in a while. They shared this weird, off the radar friendship that nobody knew about. It had started out as texting until they began to hang out. It had been awhile since they had to chance to do that.

Tim opened the door. "Hey." He left the door open for her and walked back to the bar.

She followed in behind him closing the door behind her. "Hey, Tim." She was nervous. She didn't know why. "I-I'm sorry about... Billy."

He looked her in the eye and knew she'd really meant it. "Thank you." He rounded the bar into the kitchen and pulled a fresh beer from the fridge. "So, this chick..." He took a gulp. "Just came to my house right before you, and she was being really weird." He joined Julie on the bar stools before continuing. "She just comes up to me, like, did you figure out what Billy does on the side? Or something like that."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Tim laughed. From an outsiders point of view that must not make very much sense. "This girl, some friend of Billy's, asked me if I had figured out what Billy's was doing on the side to make money."

"Like a side job... but what would Billy do on the side?" She paused. "To make money?"

They pondered on multiple possibilities for a few minuets before Tim stood from his seat. He went to Billy's bedroom door and put his hand on the knob. Tim had to gather himself before opening the door. He turned the light on and took in how Billy had left his room. The bed was half made. There was some clothes laid out on the foot of it. Nothing stood out to him or looked out of place.

"Tim, what are you looking for?" Julie called from the living room. She got up and walked to the entrance of Billy's room but didn't go in.

"Just... something." He closed his eyes and thought. _I'm hiding something. Where do I hide it?_ Tim thought to himself.

He moved to the foot of the bed and got on his hands and knees. He threw the blanket up onto the bed and peered underneath the bed. There was something under there just within arms reach, too. Tim grabbed it and slid the container out from under the bed. It was one of those clear, drawer storage containers. This one was about a foot deep and two feet across. He pulled the drawer open and saw what Billy had been hiding from him.

Julie tried to peek over Tim's shoulders to see what he found but it wasn't working. She took a few steps into the room until she had herself a clear view. "Holy crap." She whispered.

"Holy crap." Tim repeated.

* * *

**R&R :) let me know whatcha think**


	2. Let's Do It

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING.**

* * *

**chapter two**

**let's do it**

Tim knew that Billy used to sell weed but he was never moving around quantity like this. He had found a couple large bags with smaller bags inside them, full of fluffy green nugs. That was a lot of marijuana. Billy used to smoke it back in the day, which is how Tim originally found out that Billy was selling on the occasion. The stuff smells and it lingers.

Julie had stayed at his house last night until ten. After they found the stuff, they sat in the living room and caught up. They talked until her mom called, asking for her to come home. She'd been texting someone on her phone quiet a few times and Tim wondered who it was. Was it her boyfriend? Did she still have a boyfriend? They didn't get that personal. She asked him what he was going to do about the weed. He told her he didn't know yet.

He still didn't. Tim sat up from the couch, which is where he ended up passing out last night, and rubbed his eyes. He'd been laying there awake for the last few minuets until his stomach began to burn in hunger. Tim couldn't remember the last time he'd ate something. He got up and walked to the fridge. There were some frozen waffles in the freezer and he popped two in the toaster. He was standing at the counter waiting for the waffles to be done when something caught his eye. The crumpled up piece of paper he threw on the dining table last night was staring back at him.

Guess he figured out what that girl was talking about. He wondered how she was involved with Billy dealing. Did she buy from him? Was she waiting for some supply? Did Billy owe money on the stuff that was in his bedroom? Tim had no idea. That's what he now needed to figure out.

* * *

Julie was in the car with her mom and Gracie. They'd gone to church early that morning. It was now nearing noon and they were heading to the store to get some groceries.

"Mom, can I invite someone over for dinner tonight?" Julie was unsure of how her mother would react. She doesn't normally invite people over unless it was Matt, who she's no longer dating, or Tyra.

"A boy?" Julie smirked. Of course that's what she thinks of first. "Jules, you just told me yesterday that you were done with boys or something."

"This is strictly a friendship, mom. It's Tim." She thought he could use a night away from his house.

Tami gasped. "Poor Tim." The funeral was tomorrow. She couldn't believe it had almost a week since Billy passed away. It was such an awful incident. She recalls having cried and prayed for Tim the night of. "Yeah, invite him over. You think he'll come?"

"I don't know. I'll go by his place later and ask."

She thought about what they had found last night. She couldn't believe Billy was a drug dealer. There was a couple pounds at least. She didn't know drug dealer rules when it came to weighing and prices, but it had to be worth a lot of money. If he'd just been slinging by the gram, like he used to, she wouldn't have considered the 'drug dealer' title accurate, but he was selling a whole lot of dope. Tim had told her before that Billy sold a little weed back in the day if he needed to get some quick cash or something. He also said it wasn't something that happened on the regular.

"Is that where you were last night?" Tami wondered. Even though her daughter claimed her relationship with Tim Riggins to be platonic, it was Tim Riggins. The womanizer of Dillon, Texas.

She was shaken from her thoughts."Huh?" Julie got uncomfortable again.

"When I called last night?"

"Oh... yeah. I was at Tim's. I went out to Tyra's first and she had work at five. She told me about Billy and stuff and I was, like, how did I not know this happened? Then, yeah, I went over to Tim's house. Why didn't you and dad tell me?"

"I don't know. We didn't think you had any connection to the Riggins'. It really never crossed our minds. I'm sorry, honey." Tami spoke as she pulled into the parking lot.

"It's okay. I'm gonna see if Tyra can come, too. S-She's been wanting to see how Tim's doing." Tyra ended up closing last night so she wasn't able to go to Tim's yesterday. She texted Julie again at midnight, telling her she was just then heading home.

They finally found a parking spot. That's what they got for shopping on Sunday.

Julie shopped with her mother until they had what they needed. They decided to make steaks with homemade mashed potatoes for dinner tonight. She'd texted Tyra about dinner tonight and she said she could make it over. Now all Julie needed to do was to go to Tim's and see what's up.

* * *

Tim was out in the front yard when Julie pulled up. He was bent over and looked like he was breathing hard. When she got out and walked up to him, he turned around.

"Are you okay?" She laughed, he was covered in sweat.

"Yeah... just went... for a run." His breathing was heavy. "What's up?"

They walked inside together as she spoke. "Mom wants to invite you to dinner tonight. It's gonna be me, you, Tyra and my parents."

"Oh, Tyra's gonna be there. That's cool. " He paused for a minuet to think. There wasn't anything to pressing that he needed to do right away. Anything he did have to do could wait until later tonight. "Yeah." He smiled at the younger girl. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Tim walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He watched Julie as she walked over to the couch and sat down. She looked good. He threw that thought right out of his head before it had time to fester. He walked over the the bar and sat down facing her.

"So... what are you going to do with the stuff?"

He sighed. Not his favorite question of the day. "Well, when I get home later, I was gonna call that number Brianna left me."

"Are you going to sell?"

"I don't know." He needed to see what these people had to say before he knew enough to make any choices. "I need to talk with them and see what they want."

"I want in." Julie said with a serious edge to her voice.

Tim's head shot up at her words. "What? What are you talking about?"

"If you do business or anything with money, I want to help. I want in on this."

Tim was caught off guard. Julie Taylor was looking him in the eye and telling him she wanted to basically sell drugs with him. What the hell was going on? "I-I... I don't even know what to say right now." He laughed nervously because he was speechless. He took a drink from his beer. He wished there was something stronger in the house.

Julie caught eyes with Tim and they both knew they were thinking the same thing.

Tim looked away. "No. No way. You can't even be thinking about that."

Julie was a little intrigued about marijuana. She kind of wanted to know what all the hype was about and what better way then to try it. "I-I mean... kinda. What's the big deal? It's just weed."

"It's not just weed." He didn't know why but he felt protective of Julie's innocence. She was the Coaches daughter. "I don't know. I can't, that's all I do know." He knew he couldn't smoke it. He had football to worry about. He paused, imagining Julie if she were rebellious. "And I don't know about this joint venture you're talking about either."

"Tim, c'mon. We've been in together from the start. We're the only people that know about that stuff." Julie got up from the cushion she was sitting on and got closer to him. "You can trust me." She knew he had big issues with trust and she couldn't blame him. He'd been through a lot in his young lifetime.

They stood there in silence for a few minuets while Tim was considering the options he had at the moment. Should he let Julie in on this ordeal? If he did, would he be corrupting her? He really didn't care about that at the moment. He liked her company. She was one of the few people he could carry on a conversation with. Plus, she was smart. "Ah, alright." They smiled at each other. "Let's do it."

"You need to shower." Julie laughed at him.

"Uh, yeah."

Dinner went well. Tim was able to get his mind off everything that was going on in his world for a few hours. It was nice to be sitting at a table that was set for dinner. He didn't have the normal family life that other people had when he was growing up. His mother sat on the porch chain smoking and drinking beer. Hm, wonder where he picked up the drinking? His father was a dead-beat that ran out on him when his was thirteen. Watching how the Taylor family interacted with each other, it was nice.

Afterwords, everybody was gathered at Coach Taylor's front door for goodbyes.

He shook Eric's hand. "Thanks for having me over, sir." He was thankful that Coach let him have this time off. He missed practice almost all week. "Thank you." He then locked eyes with Tami. "Dinner was great, ma'am. Thank you. I'll be seeing you."

"Okay, bye you guys." Tami called as they walked away. "Drive safe. Jules..."

"Yes, mom. I heard you." Julie called back.

"Good girl!"

Tim, Julie and Tyra walked to the driveway.

"Okay, you guys." Tyra spoke. "I'll see y'all tomorrow." She hugged Tim and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled away from him without letting go and looked into his green eyes. Tim stared back. He was a sad and lonely boy at heart. She spoke up again before she started to tear up or something. "I'm so sorry, Tim, again, I... I'm here for you." She let him go and hugged Julie goodbye. "Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Tyra." Tim said. Their eyes stayed connected as much as they could, until she got into her car. Man, he missed her.

Julie shifted her weight uncomfortably. She'd felt the moment her friends shared in between them and she felt slightly jealous. She didn't know why she felt jealous, but she did. Julie shook her feelings as she watched Tyra drive away. "You ready?" She asked Tim. He rode over with her, so she could have a reason to drive him home and be there when he called Brianna. They were in this together after all.

On the ride over, Julie looked over at Tim a few times. She watched as he stared out his window into the night sky. She didn't like what she was feeling for Tim but, as always, she couldn't help it. It was a different feeling from anything she experienced with Matt. By the end of their relationship, Matt had felt like her best friend more than anything else. She cared for him as a person, but she wasn't in love with him.

When they got to Tim's house, instead of going inside, they sat in the car. Tim pulled out his phone and the piece of paper. He dialed and listened to it ring. The car was dead silent. Julie could hear the ringing from her seat.

"Hello?" The voice answered.

It was a guy. He wasn't startled but he was expecting a woman to answer. "Uh, yeah. Hey, this is... Billy's brother." The line was quiet for a few seconds.

"Okay. Let's meet up."

"When and where?" He locked eyes with Julie. They were going to meet this guy. He was a complete stranger and Tim didn't know how much he still liked the idea of getting Julie involved in this. She was so young and innocent but she was smart.

"The funeral."

* * *

**thanks for reading. R&R :)**


	3. Loyal

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter three**

**loyal**

It was like middle school all over again. Tyra was having a hard time accepting that she'd had feelings for Tim again. She just didn't want to admit it to herself, especially after all the shit she went through with her mom last year. Why were they both such losers when it came to guys?

Her mind went back to the time, at the rodeo, when Tim came over and apologized to her about Lyla. He was being so sweet and so honest, for the first time in a very long time. How she had wished to hear those words sooner rather then later. She remembered the look on his beautiful face and how badly she wanted him to kiss her, but she didn't let that happen. She accepted his apology but turned his advances down. That was the last time they were involved romantically. His affair with Lyla Garrity came with a huge price. Her.

She snapped back to her reality. That time period felt like ancient history by this point. A lot had changed since then. She suddenly felt bad. She was letting this poor boy hang around her when they both knew that he had feelings for her. It wasn't love though. Tyra knew how she looked. She knew why guys liked her and this was just Landry suffering from infatuation. She couldn't help her looks, but she wasn't the same person as last year.

Ever since she was attacked, she hadn't flaunted herself as much. She wore less make up, cut her long hair, stopped acting like a bitch and started hanging out with Landry Clarke. He gave her the comforting feeling of a brother and she believed that was why she stayed around him. They'd bonded over the incident. Luckily, she was in her car while getting attacked because she was able to grab the car lighter to burn the guy's face. He ran to his car and drove off just before Landry had shown up. He was the only person that knew about the almost rape, until he ran his mouth to Mrs. Taylor. She didn't blame him though, it was a hard situation for anybody to deal with.

Her life was different in many ways now and one thing she didn't need was for Hurricane Tim to blow threw and leave her a mess again. He was the only person that could break her heart. Well, the only person who had broken her heart. They'd known each other since they were kids and have been together since the summer before eighth grade. They had history. There would always be a place in Tyra's heart for Timothy Riggins, even if they were just friends for the rest of their lives.

Tyra stood from her bed and decided a hot shower could take her mind off things. She needed to get ready anyway. Her dress was laying out on her bed. She ran her hand over it a few times to brush out the wrinkles. Tears filled her eyes to the brim and threatened to spill onto her face. She missed Billy. He'd always been around ever since she met Tim. Tyra swallowed her cry and wiped her tears before going to the bathroom.

The shower had done wonders. Tyra felt better and her head was clear. She cried just a little, but it was relieving. She was blow drying her hair in nothing but her towel, when there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah!" She called over the blaring noise.

Mindy opened the door and walked in. "Hurry up!" She moved around Tyra's bent body and grabbed something off from the sink. She was already wearing her body hugging, black dress.

"Geez, Mind, can you calm down?" Tyra hollered.

"Well, we're gonna be late, Tyra. Do you know what time it is?"

Tyra cut off the blow dryer, it didn't take as long to dry out her shorter hair. She walked to her room and looked at the face of her bedside clock. "Shit."

* * *

Tim buttoned up his black suit and adjusted his tie. It was very uncomfortable to wear clothes like this. Clothes that were meant for one use, occasional use, at most. He looked at himself in the mirror and cringed. He could see his resemblance to Billy in his face. A tear fell from his eye as he tried to collect himself. He missed him. It was so hard to exist in a world that didn't have Billy in it. It didn't make sense.

He grabbed his keys and locked up the house. Tim hopped in his truck and started it up. He looked over toward Jackie's house to see her and Bo outside. They were both standing by her car, looking in his direction. He gave a small wave before backing out of his driveway and leaving. She was not what he wanted to deal with right now, he already had to see her at the funeral.

Bo, on the other hand, he wanted to see. He had really bonded with that little fair-haired boy. It was hard to even see him after Jackie said she didn't want to see him again. Especially after finding out that her relationship with Billy had been pretty much going on the whole time they were apart. It had hurt him on a deep level and that's why he'd gotten so pissed off at Billy. Tim felt betrayed, like there was some unwritten rule between brothers that Billy was supposed to know. He didn't know why he was so hurt, he was going nowhere with Jackie, just like Billy had told him the last time they talked, they just had some good sex. He was just a kid and she was a grown woman with responsibilities What did Tim Riggins know about responsibility?

There were quite a few cars already parked at the church when Tim arrived. He wasn't ready to deal with everybody telling him how sorry they were for his loss. He'd already had a lawyer or two calling him about his living situation and of course they apologized. He was still a child in the eyes of the law.

He parked his truck and got this sickening feeling in the gut of his stomach. His mother and father had no idea that Billy had passed away. Tim had no idea how to get in contact with them because they weren't around. He silently cursed them for leaving him and Billy to pretty much raise themselves. They had a hard childhood against their will. How Tim wished they could have been a normal family, like the Taylor's had been the other night.

Tim had to stop himself from laughing at the thought of having a normal life with his parents. He just could not imagine them as normal, functioning people. He got out of his truck and once again adjusted his tie. Ties were not his thing. He crossed the street onto the church property and headed for the door. This was it. It was time to lay Billy to rest.

* * *

Julie sat with her parents next to Landry, Tyra and her gang. As the service went on she found her eyes darting to the back of Tim's head quite a few times. This was so hard for him and everybody knew it.

She'd overheard her parents talking about his living situation this morning. They were wondering what was going to happen to him legally. Tim was a minor. He wasn't able to support himself and be left unattended. Her dad had started talking about moving him into their garage for the time being and the only argument her mother could put up was that he was just doing this for the team again. Then he'd thrown out the fact that he was the only guy living under their roof and he could use some constant male interaction for awhile. Tim Riggins would certainly be a better roommate then Buddy Garrity was. Buddy was a train wreck for the few days he'd stayed in their house.

Julie couldn't imagine what living with Tim would be like. It would probably be weird at first, considering he was one of her dads players, but it was Tim, they had a relationship that nobody really knew about. She cursed her thoughts for wanting to be more then friends with the lonely boy, but she couldn't help it, he had this beautiful sadness inside of him that she was attracted to. Julie tossed Tim from her mind and paid attention to the remainder of the service.

* * *

Most people had cleared out after Billy's service. Everybody was getting in their cars and heading for the cemetery to the plot where Billy would be buried. Tim's eyes caught a glimpse of a car driving up instead of away. It was a dark grey car with really dark windows. He could barley see an outline of a person in the drivers seat. It pulled up right next to him and soon after the passenger door opened. Nobody got out, it was meant for him to get in.

He looked around and noticed that everybody was gone, then he got in. There was a large, black guy in the drivers seat, who he was assuming was Jordan, and the same girl that came to his house the other day was in the backseat.

"Hi, Tim." She said.

"Hey." He was unsure of the situation already since the guy was fairly intimidating He was wearing dark shades and looking straight ahead.

The car slowly backed away from the church and they pulled onto the main street. It was dead silent for a few moments until they caught up with the rest of the cars.

"So, what's the deal?" Tim broke the ringing silence that was burning his ears. "How do..." Tim caught himself speaking as if Billy was still alive. There was a sudden stinging feeling in his chest. "How did you know my brother?"

Jordan removed his sunglasses in a slow, swift motion and revealed his eyes. They were a deep honey color that made him look younger and less aggressive. "I went to school with him, you know, back in the day. We didn't really become cool until senior year but after that we were homeboys." Jordan smiled slightly. "I remember you, too, man. You were just a kid back then." He paused and turned a corner with the rest of the caravan. "But that's beside the point. After all that, we started doing occasional business together and in the last year it had been consistent."

Tim was no longer uncomfortable. He relaxed in his seat. "So... what do you want with me?"

"Money."

It only took that word to make Tim tense up again. He didn't have any money just some herb, which could possibly pass off as 'money'.

"Chill out, man." Jordan nearly laughed at him. "I have money... for you."

"What are you talking about?"

Jordan reached into his suits jacket pocket and pulled out a rolled up bundle of cash. It was held together by a rubber band. Tim could feel his eyes widen as Jordan passed the wad to him. Was this really happening?

"Billy was family. We take care of our families." They crawled through the cemetery behind the other cars and finally pulled off to park. "Call me tomorrow. We'll talk business about the stash you've got, alright?"

Tim tucked the cash into his pants pocket and unbuckled himself. "Okay... thanks, man." He reached out his hand and Jordan shook it. "See ya." Tim waved at Brianna when he stepped out of the car.

They didn't' stay for Billy's burial. Tim watched as the left just as slowly as they had arrived.

* * *

Julie called Tim after she had gotten back home and changed. He did not answer. She knew he was meeting up with Jordan and Brianna today and saw him get out of their car at the burial plot. So, why wasn't he answering? She sat down on the sofa in a huff and realized she was frustrated. She thought they were in this whole 'business' thing together. Did he decide otherwise? It would make sense because he wasn't totally for it in the beginning.

Julie laid down on the sofa and sunk deeper into it. It was comfortable. She felt it pulling her into it. Her eyes closed and she slowly drifted into a light sleep.

She was awoken, what felt like hours later, by a beating at her front door. She stood from the couch and noticed by the clock that it had only been an hour. The knocking continued and she rushed to answer it. Julie swung the door open and to her enlightenment, Tim was standing on the other side of the threshold. He was holding something but she couldn't take her eyes off his face to see what it was.

"Hey." He smiled. "Uh, I guess I'm your new roommate for now."

Before Julie could respond to his statement her parents pulled up next to Tim's truck. There was some boxes in the back of her dads car. She now saw that Tim had his duffle bag and two pillows with. him. Oh, the irony.

"Hey, Jules!" Her mother called as she got out of the car. "Can you come help with these boxes, please?"

Julie joined her parents at the car. There wasn't that much stuff, two boxes, one on each side of Gracie, and a brand new air conditioner in the back. Tim was going to be in the garage and during Texas summers he'd probably die without one of those. She wondered what was going to happen to Billy's house if nobody would be living there. She grabbed a box and walked inside behind her dad.

He darted into the garage and slammed the door behind him. He was acting like a giddy teenage boy. She figured he was excited to have another guy hanging around the house, especially a football player. She heard the garage door open as she set her box on the dining room table. It was just a few moments before Tim walked in through the side door.

He walked right over to her with his duffel bag still hanging from his shoulder. "Hey. Sorry I missed your call. I was busy with your parents." Tim took in the image of Julie standing in front of him. Her hair was a little messy and she'd changed into her lounge clothes. He smiled. "Anyway, I met with Jordan and he game me this." Tim flashed the cash to Julie and watched as her eyes widened.

"Whoa, that's a lot of money." She couldn't believe the fat roll of twenty's Tim appeared to have. "Did you count it yet?"

He chuckled. "Not yet. Eager much?"

She brushed off his playful jab. "Well, what else happened? What about... the stuff?"

Eric barged through the door and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, what you kids doin'? Tim, c'mon, let's get this bed set up then I can get started on your AC."

"Be right there!" Tim called as Eric left just as quickly as he had entered. Tim grabbed Julie's hand and gave her the cash. "You count it." His hand lingered on hers and they both realized it. He let go of her hand and reached for his duffel. "Take this. Hide it. We'll talk later." Tim gave her a look before following after Eric.

Julie's face was hot. She felt as red as a tomato. His feeling of his touch still lingered on her left hand. What was he doing to her?

* * *

**thanks for reading. r&r.**


	4. Lesson Number One

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter four**

**lesson number one**

Julie woke up the next morning and sat right up. It was to early for her to be awake but she needed to talk to Tim. He never came to talk to her again last night after her dad walked in on them. They constantly made eye contact during dinner but never got another chance to be alone.

The living room was still dark. Her mom hadn't even been up with Gracie yet, so she should be in the clear. She walked through the kitchen and grabbed the knob of the door to the garage. She pushed it open and a breeze of cold air made her shiver. Tim was lying shirtless on his back, with the covers only over his lower half. Julie couldn't keep her eyes from wandering over his body. He was damn near perfect. She became indecisive on weather or not to disturb him from his sleep.

"Hey."

Julie was startled by his deep voice. Did she really just get caught staring at him like that? "Uh, h-hey." She cursed her stutter. "I-I was just coming to see if you were up yet."

"Yeah. I guess." He stretched out his long body and turned over onto his stomach. He rubbed his eyes and continued talking. "I'm freaking starving. You wanna go get some breakfast tacos?"

Julie chuckled, he sounded like he was stoned. "Tim, it's still dark outside. No tacos." He wined as he stretched himself out again. Julie looked behind her before closing the door. This was the first time she had been alone in a confined space with Tim Riggins. It was a little nerve-wracking "Thanks for not talking to me last night. I spent half the night freaking out about having that stuff in my room."

Tim threw the sheets off of him as he sat up on the bed and revealed his tight black briefs. "I'm sorry about that. I just didn't know where to stash it while your dad with in here with me, you know." He ran his hands through his messy, long hair. "Oh, yeah... did you count that cash yet?"

"Yeah. How did Billy know this guy again? 'Cause he just gave you a thousand dollars." Tim's eyes widened. He was quiet and seemed lost in thought. Julie stared at him and wondered what was going on in that head of his. "Hello? Earth to Tim?" Julie snapped her fingers at him. She felt her eyes drift down his chest and stomach to his lower regions.

"What?" Tim looked up at her.

Julie shot her eyes to his face and felt herself getting hot. Her cheeks were blushing and she was nervous. What was she doing? Why was she having a hard time keeping her eyes off that part of his body. She couldn't help it, it was just there.

"It's just... that's a lot of money to just hand somebody." Tim never had that much money at one time in his life. Nowhere near that much. Billy took care of everything that involved money and bills.

Julie nodded. "Yeah, that's a lot of money. What are you gonna do with it?"

Tim shrugged. He really didn't know. "Save it for now. I don't know just yet." He watched her stand in the middle of the garage awkwardly and maybe a little nervous. Tim looked at her feet. His eyes slowly trailed up her smooth legs all the way up to her chest. He darted his gaze elsewhere before clearing his throat. "So, uh, are your parents awake?" He spat out the the first thing he could think of to get his mind off of Julie.

"No. Not yet." She watched as Tim stood from the bed and grab a pair of basketball shorts.

Tim threw on his shorts. He felt like he was on display and it was distracting. Then he grabbed a shirt from his makeshift dresser. It was made out of a couple plastic storage bins with the pull out drawers stacked on top of each other. It was temporary until they went over and picked up the last of the stuff Tim would be bringing over. "Well... you wanna go for a jog with me?"

This was the perfect time to go on a run. It was dark still but it would be getting lighter soon. He enjoyed the times he was running by himself and he could watch the sun burn off the night.

"Oh, uh, no." She paused. "I-I should probably be here when my parents do wake up." She definitely should. There was no need to have her parents know that they were together while nobody was awake. She did not want to send her father the wrong signals. If she was going to do this thing with Tim, she needed to act naturally and try not to slip up about anything.

"Right." She was right. The last thing either of them wanted was for her parents to think something was going on between them. That would be Tim's worst nightmare. He grabbed his phone and ear buds and headed out.

* * *

Julie rounded the corner. She was headed to her locker when she saw Matt and his perfect little cheerleader girlfriend making out like bandits. It was revolting. Her stomach did a barrel roll inside her and she quickly darted in a different direction. She was glad she never behaved with him like that. Sure, they had their fair share of flirting and kissing but it was never like what she saw him doing now.

Julie found a deserted classroom and stepped inside. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts and process them so she wasn't so readable. Her face and actions have given her up before.

She made some mistakes. The Swede was at the top of the list for her biggest screw ups. Matt had totally known that something was going on with her and Anton but was never man enough to say something. Looking back on it now, that was so pathetic of him. To just sit back and watch your girlfriend go for another guy.

At the time, however, she was scared to hurt Matt. He'd always been there for her no matter what and how was she thanking him for that? By chasing after another boy? She just didn't see a future with him. Or worse, she didn't like the future she did see with him. It was confusing. She was over Matt and no longer had feelings for him but seeing him with someone else had a sting of its own.

Julie took one last deep breath before heading back out into the hall. She kept her head down trying not to make eye contact with anybody on the way to her locker. Matt had disappeared so she was in the clear to get her stuff and be on her way. The bell for her next class just rang.

Great. She was late.

* * *

"Hey, Riggins!"

Tim was walking toward the cafeteria for lunch when he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw Tyra darting through the crowd.

"Hey, Tyra." He smiled, she was so easy on the eyes.

Tyra grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a less busy hallway. "What's this about you living with Julie Taylor?"

Tim chuckled. Classic jealous Tyra. She was so cute when she used to get jealous of other girls when they were together. "How'd you already find out?"

"She told me. Duh." She said it like he should have already known.

"Tyra-"

She cut him off. "No, listen. That girl has become one of my closest friends."

"So?" Tim asked. He was trying to figure out where she was going with this conversation.

"So, you better not try anything with her. Do you hear me?" She gave him one of her signature looks. The look of pure seriousness. It was a rare look she gave but it meant business when she did.

"That's the last thing on my mind, Tyra. Are you kidding me?" He almost laughed at how stupid she must think he was to have to tell him that. "Yeah, let me just hook up with Coach's daughter under his roof. Come on, Tyra."

"Okay. I'm sorry, I just had to make sure. Julie's kinda naive sometimes and with you around that could lead to trouble."

Tim looked into her blue eyes. "Was I trouble for you way back when?"

Tyra could still remember when they first got together. Even back before they started sleeping together. Tim was such a sweet boy back then. He'd had a rough childhood since both of his parents were fucked up all the time. That's no doubt what damaged his sweet soul and turned him into the mysterious, brooding boy he was today.

"I don't regret anything that we shared, Tim." She hesitated, unsure of spilling the truth. "Sometimes I wish things had been different and we could have just stayed together... but without you I was able to grow as a person." She laid her hand on his arm. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad we had that time apart... but I... I miss you, Tim."

"I miss you, too." He moved a step closer to Tyra and their stomachs were nearly touching. He looked into her eyes to try to tell what she was feeling. They looked sad, he didn't know why. Her lips, on the other hand, looked soft and plump. He really wanted to taste her mouth again. Tim suddenly became aware that they were being watched.

Landry was standing at the end of the hallway looking their direction. Tyra followed Tim's eyes and saw him too. Her stomach curled as she thought about what had almost happened between them the other night.

Landry was over like any other night as of lately. They had dinner with Mindy and her mom before watching a movie on the couch. Tyra wasn't aware of any signals she may or may not have been putting out there before Landry decided to kiss her. At first, of course, she was shocked. It was completely unexpected. She didn't pull away for a few seconds. She kissed him back and tried to feel something for the younger boy. It wasn't going to happen. Tyra pulled away from him and told him she thought it was best that he leave.

She turned back to Tim. She wanted to stay and stare into those puppy dog eyes but she had to go deal with Landry. "Come over later?" She let go of him and backed away. "Just call me okay?"

Tim watched her walk out of sight before heading to the cafeteria himself.

* * *

After school, Julie met up with Tim back behind the field house before he had practice. They were having one last check in on tonight's plan with Jordan and Brianna. She didn't like the look on his face as she walked up to him.

"What's up?" Tim looked at the ground then looked back at her. His silence was saying a lot. "What is it?"

He sighed. He knew he promised that they were in this together and going to do everything together but there was a problem with the plan. Jordan was supposed to meet them after Tim's practice in the parking lot. "I think you should take the truck to the house." He paused, again darting his eyes from her stare then back again. "It's just that... your dad could see us. I don't want him to see you around shady people like that. You should go home and let me take all the heat if anything happens."

He had a valid point but she was tired of being left out of things. "Fine. I'll go but how are you getting home later?"

"I figured I could ask Jordan for a ride."

"Okay, just come home right after. So we can talk?" She raised her eyes brows, waiting for his response.

"Alright. I gotta go." Tim handed her the keys to his truck. "See you later."

They parted ways. Julie took the keys and headed for the truck. She hopped in and closed the door after her. Her hands grabbed the steering wheel. It was hot in the cab so Julie rolled down the window before starting up the truck. The roar of the engine startled her again. She'd heard it for the first time this morning when she came to school with Tim and nearly shrieked.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tyra's blond bob facing away from her. Landry was on the other side and it didn't look like the conversation they were having was going good. Julie backed out of the parking spot and left. She'd hear about it from her friend later.

Tim was tired and covered in sweat when practice finally ended. He sent Jordan a text letting him know he could head over, before stripping off his uniform and walking into the showers. The hot water burned until his skin got used to it. He dried off and got himself dressed before grabbing his stuff and heading outside. His hair was still dripping a little bit when he reached the parking lot. He shook his head back and fourth to get out some of the water.

He saw Jordan's grey car parked at the end of the lot closest to the exit. He walked over and open the passenger side door. No Brianna this time, it was just Jordan inside. Tim climbed in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey, man." Jordan said first.

"Hey. How's it goin'?" Tim asked, trying to make small talk.

"Good. Good. How's that cash treatin' ya?"

"Oh, man, thank you. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate what you did." Tim owed Jordan. "If there's anything I can do for you, man, just let me know."

Jordan nodded. "I figured you could use as much help as possible. I mean, you're just a kid, that cash could keep you out of the foster care system long enough for you to turn eighteen." He paused. "Man, I can't even tell you how much you look like Billy. It's unreal."

Tim's chest stung in pain. He knew it was true though. Since Billy passed, Tim even saw the resemblance between him and his brother more than ever.

"I'm sorry, Tim. That's probably not that kinda shit you need to hear right now." Jordan cleared his throat. "I just miss him, man."

"Me too."

There was a moment of silence that they shared in Billy's memory. It wasn't fair. He was so young and still had a lot of life to live.

Jordan broke the silence. "Well, hey, we better get headed to my place. We got some shit to discuss."

The ride over was less awkward then it should have been. Being in a car with a stranger isn't very comforting, but Tim was starting to warm up to Jordan. They had music playing and for a little while it almost seemed like they were friends. Riding around and hanging out. They pulled up to a nice, gated apartment complex and stopped at the security check. Jordan punched in his code and the gates opened for them.

"Alright." Jordan said as they pulled into a parking spot.

Tim got out and followed Jordan up the closest staircase. They reached the second floor and walked up to the first door on the left. Once, inside Tim could tell that drug dealing was Jordan's day job. He had some scales, weed and baggies laid out on his coffee table. There was a bong standing on the floor next to the couch. The place smelled like pot had been recently smoked.

Brianna came bouncing out of the back room and ran up to Jordan. Her eyes were bloodshot. "Hey, babe." She hugged him. "Hey, Tim." She said, parting with Jordan.

"Hey."

Jordan led Tim to the couch and they sat down together. "It's like this, man. I'm a supplier. I get supplied by another supplier and so on and so on. Billy was more of a dealer. He'd sell small quantities usually to the people that were going to smoke what they bought. I deal with large quantities Larger then the few pounds Billy would lift off me. I deal to dealers. You feel me?"

"Yeah." Tim was making sense of what Jordan was saying. Billy was a client of Jordan's. "So, what, you want me to continue in Billy's footsteps or something? Buying and selling weed?"

"I'm basically offering you a job on a silver platter, man. That's all I'm doing. Like I said, you're just a kid. You're defiantly gonna need access to a cash flow."

"Makes sense." Tim thought hard about it. It was definitely an appealing offer. "Alright, man. I can do that." He paused. "Two small things though. No big deal."

"What?" Jordan was breaking open a cigarillo and dumping the tobbaco into an ashtray.

"I have a partner that's going to be involved. You'll need to meet her at some point."

"That's fine. What's the other thing?"

"I don't really have a customer base? I'm just wondering how to sell what I've got really quick." Tim watched as he filled the flavored wrap with marijuana and roll it up. He didn't answer back right away since he was licking the wrap to make it cling to itself.

"I can set you up with some of Billy's old customers. I got a few people you can meet and then you'll be introduced to an entire network of people through them."

"It's all about who you know." Tim smiled.

"Yeah, man. Sometimes it is." Jordan put the blunt in his mouth then lit the other end. "Babe!" He called.

"Yeah?" Brianna called back from one of the bedrooms.

He exhaled smoke before speaking. "Come smoke this with us." He reached out his hand and offered it to Tim.

Brianna joined them on the couch.

"Oh, no. I probably should't." Tim hesitated.

Jordan laughed. "I don't trust anybody that doesn't smoke." His hand was still in midair, waiting for Tim to take it.

He did. He stared at the burning brown wrap. "Shit." He whispered to himself before puffing on the end of it and inhaling the heavy smoke. His lungs were burning with an unnatural feeling. Tim coughed out the smoke. The wrap was harsh and was causing him to gasp for air.

"Damn, dude. Just popped your cherry, for real."

Tim laughed after he caught his breath. His eyes watered. "Shut up." He took another hit off the blunt before passing it to Brianna.

"Thanks." She chirped.

Tim blew out the smoke that his lungs were holding. It was better this time. As he did he got a warm feeling that started in his head and slowly spread down his neck and back. It was intense. The perfect word to describe what he was feeling was 'bliss'. He opened his eyes. Julie was going to kill him.

* * *

**thanks for reading! r&r!**


	5. Light Up

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter five**

**light up**

Tim cracked open the front door to the Taylor house. It was such an odd hour that he was sure the house would be dark and quiet. He stepped inside and closed the door as quietly as he could. It really sucked that Eric and Tami's room was so close to the front door. Then he slowly walked over to his bedroom and slipped quietly inside.

Jordan dropped Tim off out at Tyra's last night after he'd sobered up. They talked on the couch for almost an hour before she cuddled up to him and they accidentally drifted to sleep. Tyra had a lot going on right now and Tim had no idea about any of it. He didn't like the feeling of not knowing what was going on in her day to day life. Landry Clarke seemed to be currently filling that role. He didn't like that too much either.

Just when he thought he had gotten away with coming home at four in the morning there was a knock at his door. He opened the door and Coach was standing on the other side.

"Damn." Tim whispered.

"You're damn right. Damn. What the hell are you doin' out this late? Huh?" Coach had that piercing look in his eyes like he did when they were on the field. "Don't you do this again, son. I'm already out on a limb letting you live here with my family but I care about you, Tim."

"It won't happen again. I want you to trust me, Coach. I'm sorry." Tim had a guilt trip as he apologized to Eric. If he only knew the shit he was about to get his daughter into, he wouldn't be so caring.

Eric nodded. "I appreciate that. Where were you, anyway?"

"Tyra's."

"Y'all back together or something?" Eric had known Tim and the rest of the Panther players since they were freshmen. So he knew what was going on in their lives, like who they were or were not dating.

"No... we're just talking. I've known her forever, you know." Tim missed Tyra more then he realized. He enjoyed her company last night. He always had and that's why they were together for so long. Things did get bad between them for awhile before they broke up, but the time apart had seemed to do the trick.

"Alright. Well, get your ass in bed. We got a game tonight." Eric closed the door behind him.

Tim was surprised he got off as easy as he did. Normally, Coach would be a hard ass about something like this, it was just how Eric was. However, ever since Tim had moved in, he'd been really laid back. He took off his shirt and climbed into his bed.

* * *

Julie stared at Tim across the breakfast table. He wasn't doing anything but he was annoying her at the same time. He promised to come home after he met up with Jordan but he totally blew her off. She'd gotten up early again to try to talk to him before her parents got up but when she woke she could already hear her mom out there with Gracie.

She was upset because she stayed up and waited for him until midnight. He never came home or bothered to respond to any of her texts or calls. Now, he was sitting across from her, between her parents, acting like nothing was wrong. Annoying.

Her plate wasn't close to empty but she didn't want to finish it. She took another bit of pancake before taking her plate to the sink. "Thanks for breakfast, guys. I gotta go finish getting ready."

"Okay, honey. Oh, Tim, before I forget. Can you take Julie with you today? I'm going in a little later then usual so we'll need both cars today." She moved baby Gracie from one arm to another while she spoke.

Tim looked over at Julie and could tell she was not happy. He'd forgotten to come home right after Jordan's. He fucked up when he promised two different people he'd see them at the same time. "Yeah. Of course." He said. He tried to smile at Julie but she rolled her eyes before going into her bedroom.

"What was that about?" Tami wondered.

He shrugged when she looked at him. "I don't know." Tim lied.

Tim waited around for Julie to finish getting ready. When she finally did they headed for his truck.

"So, what the hell?" Julie said before Tim could even start up the truck.

"I'm sorry. Yesterday... yesterday was crazy." He revved the engine after starting it up and then took off. He shouldn't have smoked that weed last night. There wasn't anything he could do about it now so he just brushed it off. Though he knew he had to tell Julie before she met Jordan, just in case it happened to come up in conversation.

"What happened?"

Tim turned at the green light before responding. "At first we just talked in his car, then he took me over to his apartment." Tim thought as he recalled yesterdays events. "We talked about meeting people that were possible buyers and stuff. Then..."

Tim paused and Julie noticed how his mood quickly changed. "What? What happened after that?"

"Jordan was rolling up a blunt... and he... I smoked with them."

"Wow, really?" Julie was surprised that he'd done that after saying that he wouldn't. It was bound to happen though and she was just waiting for her time to do the same.

Tim couldn't believe that she wasn't upset about that. She was upset that he didn't come home last night but not that he smoked without her. "So, after his place he took me to Tyra's. We talked earlier at school and got interrupted so she asked me to come over."

Julie felt that hint of jealousy stir up inside her. She had no right to be though, Tim wasn't hers for the claiming. The guy could do whatever he wanted. "W-What did y'all talk about? I saw her fighting with Landry before I left school in the truck."

"Yeah, she's got some stuff going on and we got to catch up and stuff like that. Then we just passed out on the couch and didn't wake up until Mindy barged through the front door."

Julie laughed. "Was Mindy at work?"

"Yeah." Tim chuckled along with the blond girl. It was still funny that Mindy was a stripper. He looked over and stared at her dimples. They were the cutest thing next to her actual smile. He forced himself to look back at the road and focus on driving.

Julie noticed Tim's gaze on her linger and couldn't help but blush and smile to herself.

"Oh, yeah. Jordan wants to meet you. It's official. I told him you were my partner in this business venture."

"That's cool." Julie was glad to finally be involved in something. "When are you seeing him again?"

"Um, probably tonight, after the game. He said he was doing some stuff tonight but he'd call me. Is that cool?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's cool." She was as ready as she could be to meet this guy. He was just a regular person who just happened to sell a lot of pot.

"Alright. It's a plan."

They rode the rest of the way just listening to music. Julie seemed distracted after the news about her meeting Jordan. Tim pulled into the parking lot next to the athletics building and shut off his truck. The pair sat there in silence, staring at each other. Julie was looking right into his eyes while he was staring at her big, soft lips. Something was happening between them. They both knew it, but what exactly was it?

* * *

The game against the Georgetown Patriots went pretty well. They had a few slip ups as a team in the first half, but after Coach Taylor's halftime talk, they went out and won the game. After Tim showered and changed clothes he met up with Julie next to his truck.

"Hey!" Julie called when she finally saw Tim emerge from the boy's locker room.

Tim smiled. "Hey, Jules. You ready?"

"Yeah. Did you hear from him yet?"

"Yeah, he texted me during the game. He wants us to go to his place."

They both climbed in the cab of his truck and buckled up. When they got to Jordan's apartment complex Tim had to call him to get the gate code.

"Hey, man. What's the code to get in?" Tim asked after Jordan answered. There was a moment of silence. "Alright. Thanks. Be right there."

Tim punched in the four digit code and the gate opened. He pulled in and drove to where Jordan took him yesterday. They parked close by and walked to the apartment. Tim knocked and it was Brianna who answered.

"Hey, Bri." Tim said as he walked inside.

"Hey, guys." She closed the door and turned to Julie. "Hi. I'm Brianna."

Julie shook the girls hand when she offered it. "I'm Julie." She looked around the apartment. It was totally a stoner hangout. There were no bright lights, just dim lamps in the far corners of the room. There were several Bob Marley posters hanging on the walls of the living room. It was a cool little space. Tim was definitely right about one thing, it smelled like pot.

The three of them moved to the couch and sat down. Tim sat in between the girls but closer to Julie. To an untrained eye they might look like a couple but Tim was just being protective of the young girl.

Jordan came out of the back room, drying his head with a towel. "Hey, y'all. What's up?" He had another blunt in his other hand and passed it off to Brianna. "Hey, I'm Jordan." He reached out his long, slender hand to Julie.

"I'm Julie. Nice to meet you."

He shook Julie's hand. "You, too. How'd your game go tonight, man?"

"Got the win. Twenty-seven to seventeen." Jordan and Tim pounded fists. "It was awesome."

"That's what's up."

Tim took the blunt from Brianna when she was finished and could feel Julie's eyes watching him. He looked at her for a second before wrapping his lips around the flavored wrap and inhaling. This flavor didn't seem to be as harsh as the one they used last night. Tim blew out his hit and took another.

Julie felt her stomach tense with nerves. This was going to be the first time she'd done anything illegal. If her parents ever found out about this she would be grounded until college graduation.

Tim took Julie's hand and showed her how to hold the blunt. Her hands were soft and smooth and he didn't want to let it go so soon.

She took it from him and brought it to her mouth. Before she hit it she took a deep breath and blew it out. The smoke filled her mouth then her lungs. It didn't feel right. It felt like something was suffocating her and she let the smoke out quickly. She coughed.

"You okay, Jules?" Tim tried to keep himself from laughing, but she looked funny smoking. He watched as she passed it off to Jordan after just one hit.

That was all she needed. Her lungs couldn't take another one right now because they hurt. Julie watched as Tim pulled out his phone and stare at it. She could barley hear the vibrations the phone was making but it was definitely ringing. The look on Tim's face was what really concerned her. He locked eyes with Julie and with just one look he basically told her that they would talk about it later. It stopped ringing and he put it away.

* * *

Tyra called Tim, but he didn't answer. She signed. She really needed somebody to talk to. No, she needed him. Just him. Landry had been on her case all day today. Ever since that night he kissed her, he seemed to think there was something between them and he wasn't giving up on it. She tried telling him that there was nothing between them but apparently there was no telling Landry Clarke no. He always had a response to everything. Always.

There was a knock at the door and Tyra closed her eyes. She knew it was Landry. He told her that he was going to come over tonight but she'd told him not to. He never listened. The poor boy was dead set on the idea of being with her.

He opened the door and walked inside.

"Landry, what are you doing here?" Tyra was clearly not in the mood and she wasn't afraid to show it.

He moved to the middle of the room. "We didn't finish our discussion at school today."

She sighed. Somehow, Landry had found out that Tim basically spent the night last night. She didn't know how he knew but it was very strange. "Can't we just give it a rest?"

"No, Tyra. No, I can't give it a rest. It's been the only thing I can think about since I found out. It-"

"How did you find out?" She interrupted him, wanting to know the truth.

He went quiet and let out a breath. "I was going to come over late last night and sleep on the couch like I've done a few times a-and then I see that Tim is here so I left. It's been driving me crazy to ask you what I'm about to ask you."

"What?" Tyra wanted to know what was so important for him to come over after she told him not to.

He looked her right in the eyes. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Oh, my God, Landry! What the hell?" She was getting mad now. "You have no right to come in here acting like this." She stood from the couch and got in his face. "You don't own me! There's nothing going on between us, Landry. Why can't you get that through your head?" Her words stung him and she could tell.

He was silent for a few moments. "Tyra... I love you." He paused, tears filled his eyes. "Nobody else, not Tim or any other guy, could love you this much. I know you have to feel something for me. You're just denying it."

Tears formed in her eyes as well. "No, Landry. I wish I did have feelings for you because you're an amazing guy. I care about you deeply, I do, but we're just... never going to happen."

"But-" He started.

"Landry, no!" Her voice was stern. She'd had it. "You need to go, okay. Don't come back, you hear?"

He stared at her in disbelief before walking back out her front door.

Tyra sat back down on the couch and cried to herself after he left.

* * *

"So, are y'all together or something? What's this?" Jordan asked, pointing back and fourth between Tim and Julie.

Julie laughed nervously and hoped it wasn't noticeable by anyone else. "No... we-we're just friends. Partners."

"Right. Right." Jordan said before puffing on the blunt again. "Well...you're acting like you're together, you know?"

Tim took a second too examine how they were behaving. Julie was leaning into him with her shoulder and their legs were touching. He knew how that must look but it didn't seem to matter to him. "Whatever, dude." Tim laughed. "We're not together."

"Aww, y'all would be so adorable if y'all were." Brianna chimed in.

Jordan laughed, then finally sat down on the chair that was facing the couch on the opposite side of the coffee table. "Alright, you guys, I got something for you." He pulled something off the lower shelf his table had and slide it across to them.

Tim reached out for it. It was an electronic scale. "That's cool. Thanks."

"Don't even worry about it. I got one last thing and then you should be good to go. I just needed to make sure it would be okay with you."

"What is it?" Tim asked.

"Can I give your number out? I always ask, man. You don't know how many times I've had random ass people hit me up because somebody gave out my damn number without telling me. I can't stand that shit."

The blunt made it's way back into Tim's hand and he puffed on the end. It seemed to be becoming more and more natural for his lungs to hold the foreign smoke for longer periods of time. He already felt his high coming on and passed it off to Julie after one hit. "Oh, yeah. You can do that. Once I got people to sell to, this ball will start rolling."

The helped Brianna and Jordan finish off the blunt before they headed out. It was already late but it was a weekend so it was okay.

"Alright, man." Tim reached out his hand to Jordan who stood up and grabbed it. They gave each other a bro hug. "I'm gonna get rid of some of the stuff. I'll call you soon and let you know how it's going."

"For sure. Catch y'all later."

"Bye, guys." Brianna called after them after the stepped out the door.

"Bye!" They both called back then laughed about it to each other.

Tim called Tyra back after they got back in his truck. She wanted them both to come over to her house and stay the night.

When they got there, they found Tyra on the couch. Something was mumbling on the television but even she wasn't paying it any attention. Suddenly, Tyra's head perked up.

"What's that smell?" Tyra cringed.

Tim and Julie looked at each other then back Tyra.

"What smell?" Julie lied.

They watched Tyra sniff the air. "I don't know."

"Are you okay?" She was concerned for her best friend.

Tyra giggled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Kinda tired. I just need my people right now." She patted her hands on the cushions that were on either side of her. They joined her on the couch as she spoke. "So, what have y'all been up to?"

Tim noticed Tyra's words were a little slurred which could indicate that she was a little more then tired. He scanned the living room and what he could see of the kitchen. There was an open bottle of vodka sitting on the dining room table. "Tyra, let's get you to bed, honey."

"No, no. I'm fine. What's going on?"

"Can you help me get her to bed, Jules. She's been drinking." This nodded his head in the direction of the bottle.

Julie saw it. "Y-Yeah. C'mon, Tyra."

They pulled her up by her arms and carried her to her bed. The let her fall into the pillows and covered her with the blanket. They walked back to the living room to talk privately.

"Well, now what do you wanna do?" Julie asked him.

"I don't know. Do you wanna go home?"

Before Julie could answer Tim they heard Tyra yell from her room.

"Tim! Tim, come here!"

Tim knew that call. He suddenly felt torn between the two blond girls. "She's gonna want me to sleep in there... probably." He knew she probably wanted more then that, too. When they were together and Tyra drank, they usually ended up having sex.

Julie frowned. The thought of Tim and Tyra together wasn't a pleasant thought for her. She felt like she was going to be sick. "So...?"

"I... I don't know."

She saw the look on his face. He looked like he was in pain. "Just go. She needs somebody and I can just sleep out here." She looked at the couch.

"Okay. Come get me when you wake up and I'll take you home."

"Okay."

* * *

**thanks for reading! r&r!**


	6. Longing

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter six**

**longing**

Tyra rolled over to find herself face to face with Tim Riggins. She smiled at him while he slept. He was on his stomach shirtless. She sat up quickly and lifted the sheets. Had they slept together? He was still wearing his jeans. Tim wouldn't be wearing his pants if they had slept together, though. If they didn't, she was glad. She didn't want to share that with him in a drunken state like she used to.

Tim stirred from his sleep. "Hey." He said as he rolled onto his side, facing Tyra.

The button and zipper on his pants were undone and Tyra halfway panicked. "Uh, Tim... did we, um, hook up last night?"

She was hoping they didn't and he could tell. The look on her face said a lot. "No... we didn't." She wanted to, but he wasn't going to tell her that he turned her down. No way.

She sighed in relief. "Thank you, Jesus."

"Don't act so relieved, geez." He smiled, playfully.

Tyra smiled back. "It's not that. It's just... if we were gonna do that, I'd rather not be messed up." She looked at his bare chest and stomach. She felt herself getting aroused. Tyra laid back down close to Tim. Her hand made it's way to his body.

Tim closed his eyes and let her hand move over his skin. Her skin was warm and familiar. It felt like old times. He could still remember the night he took her virginity. She took his too, but a girl's virginity was much more sacred then a boy's. His mind then flashed to all the times he'd cheated on Tyra. He never knew why he did shit like that but it came pretty naturally. Tyra's lips washed away his thoughts.

She grabbed his long hair. His lips made their way to her neck and she moaned. That was her spot and he knew it. The spot that would instantly turn her on. "Mmm. Tim."

He couldn't stop himself. He didn't want to. His hands helped her take off her white tank top. She wasn't wearing a bra. Tim looked at her then quietly thanked God for letting something as beautiful as Tyra Collette walk this Earth.

Their lips met again in a passionate embrace. Their hands touched every bare inch of each others bodies before the stopped and took a breath. Tyra had that wanting look in her eyes. She laid back and let Tim slip off her grey shorts and panties in one smooth motion.

She felt a little shy. It had been awhile since she had been fully exposed to Tim so she had a few nerves firing. She watched as he took off his pants. He looked amazing standing there in a pair of tight, grey trunks. He climbed back on top of her. They kissed hard while letting their bodies grind together. Tyra moved her hands from his shoulders down to his stomach. She reached inside his shorts and grabbed his hard on.

Tim moaned when she slipped his member inside of her. She felt warm and inviting. He pulled out and slowly pushed himself all the way in again. They hadn't been together this way in so long. She drug her nails down his back and his pace picked up a little bit, then wrapped her legs around him and let him have his way with her.

* * *

The shrill sound of a phone ringing woke Julie from her sleep. She'd forgotten she was on a couch until she sat up. Still in her clothes from last night, Julie got up and looked for the phone. It was Tim's. She picked up his phone off the coffee table and looked at the screen. It was a random number calling with '717' area code. That wasn't from around here.

She answered. "Hello?"

"Uh, hey. Is this Tim's number?"

It was a light male voice on the other end. "Um, yeah... who's this?" She asked.

"This is Danni... and Mars. We're friends with Brianna and Jordan."

"Oh, okay. Lemme go find Tim real quick." Julie took the phone from her ear. This was weird. It seemed a litte early in the day to be buying weed. She walked back to Tyra's room and pushed the door open.

Tim was sitting on the end of the bed in nothing but his underwear while Tyra was naked barley under a sheet.

"Julie!" Tyra scrambled to cover herself. "Uh, heard of knocking?"

"I-I'm so sorry! Here, Tim. I-It's for you." She tossed the phone at him and left the room. She rushed back into the living room and paced the room. She was pissed and now knew why. It took seeing him with another girl to make her realize her feelings for him.

This was not what she needed right now. She already had to deal with her ex and his new girlfriend and now this. There was something between her and Tim, but he was possibly getting back with his ex. It was such a mess.

She took a deep breath. She needed to get herself together before Tim came out. Julie sat down on the couch and let herself calm down. It was a little while longer until Tim finally emerged from Tyra's room. He was dressed in the clothes he wore yesterday, too.

They shared a look before he started. "Hey, so...um, that was somebody we need to go meet. Gotta swing by the house and get some first. That cool?"

Julie looked away. She rolled her eyes and stood from her seat. "Yeah. I'm probably just going to stay home, though. I need to shower and stuff." She needed some time alone, away from him. She also didn't like being in the same clothes for two days in a row.

"Okay, that's fine." He felt guilty for letting Julie see what she saw.

She was thankful that Tyra didn't come out. She didn't really want to look into the eyes of her best friend who just got screwed. Julie wasn't suprised, however, she basically knew it was going to happen but she thought it'd happen last night, not this morning.

Tim felt like shit the whole way home. It was so unlike him to care like this about someone else's feelings but he couldn't help it. Julie's feelings mattered. He looked over at her. She was staring out the passenger window. He wanted to talk to her but he could definetly tell that she wanted to be left alone.

Julie was trying to be strong and not let herself cry in front of him. What the hell was wrong wtih her? A mess over some boy who wasn't even her boyfriend. That wasn't how she should be feeling. She was a pretty strong and independent girl even during her relationship with Matt, but there was something about Tim that made her weak and vulnerable.

When the finally got home Julie jumped right out and darted inside. Tim followed in after her. He tried to talk to her but she'd gone into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Hey, Tim." Tami said. She was sitting on the couch while Gracie was asleep in her carseat on the floor next to her.

"Hey, Mrs. Taylor." He walked into the kitched and opened the fridge. Trying to act like nothing was going on was quite a task in this household. There was a few beers sitting on the top shelf. He stared at them in awe. It had been a while since he'd had one because he was trying to respect Mr. and Mrs. Taylor's house rules, but he could sure use one right now.

"Where were you guys last night?" She stood from the couch and moved to the bar.

"We went out to Tyra's after the game. It got late on us so we just spent the night." She bought it.

"Okay. Next time, just have her call me at least."

"Okay. Well, hey, I'm gonna go hit the gym. I'll be back later."

"Bye, Tim."

He dashed into the garage, changed clothes then grabbed his duffel bag. He opened it and pulled out one of the large bags of weed and the scale Jordan gave him. Tim tossed the bag back in between the wall and his bed before leaving.

He was barley halfway to his truck when his phone received a text message. He got in the truck before pulling his phone out. It was somebody else who was looking for what he was selling. Maybe he could make this lifestyle work.

* * *

Tim had been hanging out with these two gay kids that were just a few years older then he was. One of them was a very flamboyant gay guy, Danni, and the other was a cute, chubby lesbian named Mars. When they met up at Billy's house, they all hung out on the back porch mostly. Tim got to know them a little and vice versa. They were from the town south of Dillon called Temple. Danni had met Brianna when they started working together at a cafe in between the two towns and hit it off. Then Mars got introduced to Brianna, then they both met Jordan.

Tim had told them about his brother passing away and that being the reason he was in the position he was in. They sympathized with him and chatted for another half hour before Tim even weighed out any bud for them. They needed a decent amount. They told them Billy used to sell them a half ounce for two twenty-five so Tim weighted out the fourteen grams and sold it to them.

Before they parted ways they told him they would be in touch and to save that out of area number. Tim called the number that had previously texted him when he was on his way to meet Mars and Danni.

"Hey, where can you meet?" It was nearly sundown so options were getting more limited.

"We could just meet at the high school." The guy said. "It should be cool."

He drove over to the high school and met the guy in the athletics parking lot. He turned out just to be a sophmore he went to school with looking for an ounce to sell to his friends and connects.

Tim had already made about seven hundred dollars in just a few hours. This guy, Kent, just spent almost five hundred on his stuff alone. Not bad. Things were looking up.

The sun was starting to go down when he arrived back at the house. He walked in and went to see if Julie was out and about. She was sitting on the couch with next to her dad, who was in his chair. Tim took a seat at the bar after he greeted his coach.

The television was going on and on about some commercial. Tim looked over at Julie who was facing away from him. He could see her face in the reflection on the sliding glass door. She glanced over at his reflection, then quickly looked away.

Tim had it. He stood from the chair he was sitting on and went to the garage. Was she just going to ignore him forever now? He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hey... Tyra. Can I come over?"

Tyra was cleaning her room before Tim came over and found his undershirt lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. She scooped it up and tossed it on her bed. She remembered her morning with Tim and smiled. He sure knew how to get the job done because she was sore. She had a few patches of welted up skin where his nails hand dug into her hips.

She picked the shirt back up and threw it over her shoulder. She needed to do laundry anyways, so she would go ahead and wash Tim's shirt for him. It had a strange smell to it. Something she knew he didn't usually smell like. She brought the fabric to her nose and sniffed. It smelled like marijuana. Why would Tim's shirt smell like that? He was basically an alcholoic after all. She tossed it into her clothes bin and figured she'd talk to him about it when he got there.

She'd just finished loading the clothes into the washing maching when he walked in her front door.

"Hey!" She called out over the rushing water.

He came up behind her and put his hands on her hips. "Hey."

Tyra backed up into him and felt his body heat. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. They felt so good together. "What's going on? You sounded kinda upset on the phone." She loosened her grip on him but didn't let him completely go. She looked into his pretty green eyes waiting for him to respond.

"Julie's bugging me. So, I had to get out of there for a while." He smiled at her sexually. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"Thanks for coming over." She closed her eyes and kissed him.

Tim pushed Tyra up against the spinning washing maching without breaking their embrace. He felt himself begin to get aroused the more passionate they became.

After a few minuets of practically dry humping she was more then ready for him. Her mouth broke their kissing spree and moved to his ear. "Fuck me, baby." Her hips rocked back and fourth against his crotch. Her hot breath tickled his ear and nearly sent him over the edge. Tyra could see that his boner was making his pants tighter then they already were.

Tim's breath caught in his chest when she unbuttoned his pants then pulled down the zipper. Tyra got down on her knees and pulled out Tim's well-endowed manhood. "Tyra... what are you doing?" He looked down at her as she took him into her mouth. It was so hot and stimulating that he wanted to explode already.

Tyra looked up at him. "You like that?"

He nodded. It felt amazing but nothing was as good as the vagina, which is exactly what he wanted right now. He pulled her up from the floor and took her over to the couch. She laid down on her back and spread her legs open. With all his clothes still on, he moved over her and let himself fall into her.

* * *

Julie was still up when Tim finally came home again. Not much had changed since he'd left except her parents had taken Gracie to bed for the night. Aunt Shelly had finally made it into town and was already asleep as well. He was about to walk straight into the garage before she spoke up.

"Tim?"

He stopped in his tracked in the middle of the kitchen. Was she finally talking to him? He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

She got up from the couch. She walked into the kitchen without saying word and hugged him.

He was taken by suprise by her actions but slowly wrapped his arms around her. Her hair smelled like something mixed with vanilla. He breathed in her scent. It was the first time he really got to touch her for an extended period of time.

Julie felt tears fall from her eyes but there wasn't anything she could do to stop them. All her feelings and emotions since this morning had finally boiled over inside of her.

He continued to hold her while she cried. He wanted to know what was wrong and how he could help. Would he ruin the moment they were sharing if he inturrputed the silence that was surrounding them? He let his fingers run through her long hair.

Julie's walls had finally come down. She looked up at Tim. She shifted her weight to the tips of her toes and kissed him.

Julie's warm lips sent shivers down his back. He took her face into his hands and gave her everything he could. Their chemistry was undeniable.

There was a noise behind then and Julie jerked back to see what it was. Shelly was standing there in her robe. "Oh, uh... Aunt S-Shelly, this is, um, Tim." They were in deep shit if her parents found out about this.

"Julie, honey, relax." She took one of Julie's hands into her own. "I'm not gonna say anything."

Tim stood back and let them have a moment. He took in what had just happened with Julie and panicked. Had he really just made out with the Coach's daughter? He was just digging himself deeper and deeper into this hole and once Eric caught wind of any part of it, he'd bury him alive.

"I'll see you in the morning." Tim smiled at Shelly, polietly. "Nice to meet you." He closed the door and let out a breath. _Shit._ Besides, Coach Taylor to worry about, Tim now had Tyra to consider. They'd had sex, twice now, but nothing was set in stone with them. He cared for both these girls but he cared for one of them more. He had to. How can you like two people equally? It didn't seem plausable.

He cut on his air conditioner and laid down on his bed. He needed to clear his mind and bury his sorrows for a little while. Sleep would do just that.

* * *

**thanks for reading. r&r.**


	7. Let The Flames Begin

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter seven**

**let the flames begin**

It had been a weird couple of days since Tim and Julie shared that kiss in the kitchen. Shelly did as she told Julie and never said a word to Eric or Tami. The friends had almost been acting like nothing had happened between them. After school and practice lately, Tim had been out selling product and hanging out at Tyra's. Julie still had yet to say anything to Tyra after walking in on her naked the other day. She avoided her in the halls and ignored her calls. If she didn't talk to her soon, Tyra was going to know something was up and start questioning her. That was the last thing she needed.

She'd just got home from school and flopped down on the couch next to Shelly. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, sweetie." Shelly replied, still into whatever show was on.

Julie followed her gaze to the TV screen. It was one of the many shows about the rich, boring and dramatic housewives. "Really, Shelly?" Julie mocked.

Shelly playfully slapped her leg. "Shut up, woman, you watch dumb shit, too."

"Shell!" Tami whisper yelled as she walked out of her bedroom.

"What?"

Tami walked into the kitchen. "First of all, Eric just got Gracie down for a nap, so it'd be great if you could quiet down. Second, why are you cussing in front of Julie?"

Julie rolled her eyes. She would always be a little girl in her moms eyes.

"C'mon, Tami. She's not a child." The sisters caught eyes and Tami shook her head, negatively. "So, anyways..." Shelly started, trying to quickly change the subject before Tami could use anything against her. "Where's Tim?"

"I don't know." Julie said, a little too quickly. She couldn't think of an excuse, but at the same time she wasn't exactly sure where he was. They'd cooled it on the partnership since that night in the kitchen. Tim told her that maybe what happened, happened because they were spending 'too much' time together. He was just avoiding the truth and she knew it. They had something.

"It's getting a little late. Why don't you call him, honey." Tami said. "I'm about to run out and get us something to eat. Do y'all wanna come with?"

Shelly got up from the couch and walked over the the bar. "Yeah. Is Eric keeping Gracie?"

"Uh huh. Now throw your shoes on girls and come on."

Tami and Shelly drifted into their own rooms and Julie had a moment alone. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and unlocked it. She had a message from Tyra. She was just going to delete it but she figured she might as well see what Tyra had to say first. Julie rolled her eyes. It was something about Tim. She read it again. Tim was over at her house and Tyra was wondering where she was. She cleared her inbox before locking her phone.

"Julie? You ready?" Shelly said as she came from the hallway to their bedrooms.

She stood up. "Y-Yeah. Let's go. Tim's out at Tyra's place, so I don't think he's gonna be eating with us tonight." Her stomach felt like it was eating itself. She still had burning thoughts of Tim and Tyra having sex in her head.

Julie's face said a lot. "Hang on, honey. Are you alright?" Shelly was concerned. She knew that mysterious boy meant something to her niece. She put her hands on Julie's shoulders.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

"What's going on?" Tami asked as she came back to get them.

Julie nearly freaked. She did not want her mother to know about this. "Nothing, mom." She faked a smile. "C'mon." She took her moms arm. "What do you feel like picking up?"

They walked toward the front door together, with Shelly lagging behind. "I don't know. What sounds good?"

"Chinese!" Shelly called out after they had shut the front door.

"If you say that one more time, I'm gonna have to throw you out." Tami laughed. They already had Chinese twice in the four short days Shelly had been in town.

The girls laughed and got into the car.

* * *

Tim sat on the edge of the bed putting his clothes back on. He had sex with Tyra twice on the day he kissed Julie, but since then he'd been trying not to get into bed with her. That was hard but he was successful. Until tonight.

He was kidding himself if he said he didn't think about Julie while he was with Tyra. Imagining what it would be like to make love to her. So, then what exactly was he doing with Tyra? Tim really thought for a few moments. Was he just drowning his sorrows inside her? Did he have feelings for her again? He compared the girls side by side without sex or any complications in the picture.

Tyra was a rebellious fireball. If you messed with her, you would get burned. She had a false reputation as a skank. She used to use her looks to get attention or something she wanted but that was about it. Sure, she made out with Smash right after they broke up, but he slept with Lyla. That was a much bigger deal in the end. Tim deeply cared for Tyra, but emotionally it was on a friendship level right now. In the end, sex was just sex and he wanted something more than that for once. He just wasn't sure if Tyra could give it to him.

Julie was almost the complete opposite of Tyra. She was still innocent and naive sometimes, but she was sweet and true. She was a real, caring human being and that was hard to come across in this town. They did share one thing that he couldn't really do with Tyra. They talked, like, really talked. He could talk to Julie for hours about nothing in particular. He felt more at ease and comfortable and _normal _when she was around. It was definitely easier not to drink around her.

_Damn._ He thought. He knew there was beer in Tyra's fridge. He'd been trying hard not to touch it because he would want to start drinking all day, every day like he used to, but he lived at the Taylor's house now. It wasn't going to fly over there.

"Hey." Her raspy took his attention from his thoughts. "What is it?"

"What do you mean?" He turned to her. Her baby blue eyes looked worried.

"You were thinking about something real hard. What was it?"

For some reason, Tim was really put off by her questioning him. He got up and finished getting dressed without ever responding.

"Tim? Tim, what's going on?" She got off the bed and tried to stay calm. He was acting really strange all of a sudden and she wanted to know why.

"It's nothing, Tyra." He left the bedroom and walked to the kitchen. An ice cold beer was calling his name. He popped open the fridge and cracked open a Bud Light. Not his top choice of beer but it would do.

Tyra had followed him. "Tim, what wrong?" Something was definitely up if he was drinking. She was flipping out.

"It's just that..." He started, then stopped. Honesty could be brutal. "I don't feel like it's something I can talk to you about... sorry."

Never had Tyra Collette's house been so dead quiet. She just stared at him in disbelief. With how long they've known each other, the stuff they'd been through together and how much sex they had, she was hurt that he felt like he couldn't talk to her.

Tim sighed. He knew he pissed her off. His phone just so happened to go off to break the tension in the room. He flung it out of his pocket and it hit the floor.

Tyra scooped it up and looked at the screen. "Who's Jordan? Huh?" Tim tried to snatch it back but was unsuccessful when Tyra quickly moved away and he managed to spill beer on himself. "He said, 'What's up with the shit?' What does that even mean?"

Tim finally grabbed his phone from her. "Fuck, Tyra!" He yelled as he looked at the text Jordan had sent. "I gotta go." He set the beer on the counter and headed for the front door.

He was well on down the road when he texted Jordan back. He hadn't talk to him in a couple days. Tim let him know that he'd stop by tomorrow after the game and kept driving down the road while the sunlight was fading.

What the fuck was wrong with him? His heart was beating fast and his stomach was in knots. What was this strange feeling he was experiencing? He didn't know. All he did know was that he was excited to see Julie. He felt bad for acting like a dick to her after they kissed. Dodging her and not letting her go on any deals for the last few days. _Dick_. The poor girl had let herself go in his arms, showed him her true feelings and he got cold and distant toward her. _Dick_.

He was acting like he was scared. Was he?

The house was dark when Tim pulled up. It didn't look like anybody was home. He sent Julie a text before climbing out of his truck and going inside. The air conditioning felt so good on a humid night like tonight. The living room was lit up when he turned around and he found Julie on the couch when he entered the room.

"Oh, hey. I texted you 'cause I didn't think anybody was home." He walked over to the chair beside the couch and sat down. "You babysittin'?"

She nodded. "Yeah. They went out to a movie and left me with her after we ate. There's leftovers in the fridge." She spoke without taking her eyes off the television.

Tim leaned forward in the chair, closer to Julie. "Jules?" He paused and waited for her to actually pay attention to him.

She looked over at him. "What?" It had felt like she hadn't seen him in days. She hadn't really. He'd leave real early and come back home super late and go straight to his room.

"I'm sorry."

She looked in his eyes. She knew that he was being meaningful and real with her. When he wasn't, he had this blank, dead glare in his eyes. That look wasn't there right now. What was there was despair and regret. He looked so pitiful. "It's okay, Tim." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I-I'm sorry. I made things weird between us by kissing you. I-I wish I could take it back." _Lie._

That hurt him, probably more then it should have but he cared about what she thought and how she felt. "It's my fault we haven't been hanging out. Apparently, I'm emotionally retarded and can't deal with that kinda stuff."

"It's okay." She repeated.

"But... I want to."

Julie was confused at what he wanted. "You want to what?"

"I want to be able to deal with emotions and feelings and all that." He knew he had to be direct to get through to a girl like her. "I..." He paused. It wasn't so easy to confess your attraction to someone like Julie Taylor. First of all, she was the Coach's daughter, he'd flip shit if he thought one of his players had a thing for his daughter. Sure, Matt did and actually dated her, but Matt had a different kind of reputation then Tim did. Second, she was a beautiful, smart, independent individual. He closed his eyes and spoke. "I'm gonna end things with Tyra. Whatever that was, it's over."

"Why? What happened?" Julie was again concerned for Tyra. She loved that girl and didn't want to see her get hurt, but in some way she was relieved.

"I guess I was just distracting myself with her... from what I really wanted." Tim knew what was about to pour from his lips. Maybe he would be able to relax after putting everything out in the open. "You, Julie."

She gasped for air. "W-What?" Had he really just said her name?

"I want you." Those word made him feel really exposed and vulnerable. Unsure of what to do he stood and hesitated, then turned to walk to his room.

Julie grabbed Tim's hand and he stopped in his tracks. She looked up at him with tears filling her eyes. "I... I want you, too." She paused, still grasping his hand. He was staring down at her and she got that feeling again. The same one from the other night that led her to kiss him. "I need... you."

Tim heard the front door swing open. He let go of Julie's hand and sat back down quickly to act like they'd just been watching TV. It would have been one hell of a conversation to have with her parents, but it wasn't happening tonight.

Tim was laying in bed later. The adults had gotten home and they all chatted for a while and laughed. Eric and Tami were good people. He felt bad for consciously betraying their trust in him. They had their daughter to consider when deciding whether or not he'd be staying with them and they chose to let him. That had to take a lot from both of them as parents.

His hand still felt like it was tingling in the spot where Julie had held it. A simple gesture, hand holding was, but with Julie it was some how more. They were telling each other how they felt through that single moment they were grasping onto each other. His own smile broke his concentration. He was infatuated. His smiled soon wondered what he was going to do ab out Tyra? He hated the idea of hurting her this time around. When he dumped her he hadn't spent much time caring, but he was a different person now. Though he still had trouble expressing emotions, it was a long way from the reckless drunk he was known as being.

* * *

The Panthers suffered their first loss of the season tonight. Now they had five wins and one loss. Tim had personally not done his best either. His mind was elsewhere all game long and he couldn't shake it. He felt horrible for clearly letting the team down.

In the locker room, his teammates kept telling him not to worry himself about it and that it was all good. It was just one loss, they said. Well, one loss was not the same as an undefeated record. He had to get his head on straight before next game or they were in trouble.

He changed out and headed for Jordan's house like he promised he would. It took him longer then usual to get over to his apartment due to after game traffic. When he finally did pull in he noticed that Jordan was down at his car anyway.

"Hey, man." Jordan said to Tim as he shut off his truck.

"Hey. Whatcha doin'?"

Jordan was standing at the back of his car with the trunk open. "My homeboy dropped off some really nice shit. I leave my trunk open for him and he stashes it for me and I leave his cash in the little gas tank door."

Tim smiled. That was clever.

"Alright. Let's get upstairs." Jordan said as he grabbed a black backpack and slammed the trunk shut.

They walked up together and once inside, Jordan locked the door behind them. "So, what's up? Where's your girl?" He walked to the kitchen and pulled out the new stash.

Tim sighed. "She's not my girl."

"Your 'business partner', then." Jordan laughed. "I'm just messin' with you, man. Chill out." He nodded in the direction of the couch. "Have a seat. I'm about to break us up some of this new shit."

Tim hated himself for feeling glad when Jordan mentioned that they would soon be smoking. He needed to clear his mind and take the edge off even if just for a little while. He sat and waited for his new friend to join him. While waiting he also noticed that Brianna wasn't around either. "Where's Bri? Working?"

"Yeah, she's closing. Won't be off 'til midnight or after probably. Fuckin' sucks." Jordan joined Tim in the living room with a large, glass bong in one hand and a box of matches in the other. He set the bong on the table. "This is about to rape you, dawg."

"What?" Tim watched him pull out a bag from his pocket and set it gently in his lap.

Jordan opened it up and proceeded to load a bowl into the bong. "This bud looks so good. It's all lime and white with crystals all over it, dude. It's gonna rip out of this piece." He sounded like an excited little kid.

Tim looked at the box of matches he'd set down next to the glass water bong. "That is the biggest box of matches I think anybody has ever seen." They laughed. "Lose your lighter?"

"Negative. It's like, whenever I get stuff that's really good quality, I like to taste it without all the chemicals of the lighter fluid. It's just much more pure tasting with matches." The bowl was loaded and Jordan handed it to Tim first. "Here. Hit these greens. Taste it and you'll see what I'm talking about."

Tim took the bong from him. It was heavier then it looked. He put his mouth on the top and grabbed a match. It sparked and he watched the green buds turn into black ash as he filled up the tube with smoke. He pulled the bowl out and let his lungs take in what they could, then he passed it off to Jordan. His chest was on fire. The smoke from this piece was thicker and harsher. He let it out in a big gush and coughed.

Jordan cleared the smoke that Tim had left behind and laughed at him. "Dude, I told you, this bong kills."

He nearly choked himself causing them to both bust out laughing. The after taste of the weed was really good. Almost delicious, he would say. He was already feeling warm and buzzed. This stuff was good. A rush moved over his body and once it disappeared he got suddenly serious. "Can I ask you something, man?"

"Yeah." Jordan was slouched over on the couch holding onto the bong with both hands.

"If... if anything happened to the place I'm staying at right now, do you think I could crash on your couch. Just 'til I found another place and I could pay you or whatever." He was high and could feel it.

"Yeah, Tim. Don't even worry about it. I ain't 'bout to let you sleep on the streets." He cleared his throat. "There's a place for you here anytime you need it, man."

A calming feeling now washed over his body. He relaxed a little bit with that off his chest. "Can I buy some of this stuff? I got a little of Billy's stuff left but this is really good." Tim was surprised at how much business he already had. He had no idea how many and how much people smoked weed. It was like opening a blind eye.

"Yeah. You could make a lot more profit if you sold by the gram, just sayin'."

"What do you mean?" He was definitely interested in more money, he just needed the fine printed details.

"Like, you know how you cut deals when people buy a large amount, like half's or whole ounces?" Tim nodded along. "Well, for this shit, just tell them that you're selling by the gram only because of the quality. Yeah, they might bitch but in the end... they'll pay up." Jordan sat up and pulled out a scale. "How much cash have you pulled in?"

"Little over two grand." He probably could have made a lot more on how much he had, but he was just trying to flip it quickly and get it out there that he was selling now.

"Alright, let's see." He thought for a minuet. "You still got the cash I gave you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then, how about you throw me just a flat fifteen hundred and I'll hook it up on the good shit?"

"Let's do it." Tim followed after Jordan when he got up and headed to the kitchen. "What's this stuff called, anyway?"

"White Widow."

* * *

**thanks for reading. r&r**

**A/N: any comments on where i could take this would help. not sure what i want to happen in the long run yet. ;) chapter eight soon**


	8. Little Boy Blue

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter eight**

**little boy blue**

It was finally the weekend. Julie could smell the bacon that was cooking tickle her nose as she woke up. Her family loved bacon. She heard Shelly's shrill giggling and wondered who all was already up.

She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She was decent so she walked out into the living room. It was just Tim and Shelly making all the noise. He was cooking up some breakfast while she was flipping through a magazine at the bar, with baby Gracie in one arm. Shelly was an awesome babysitter. She was up early usually every morning and would sometimes get Gracie out of bed before she woke up Eric or Tami.

"Morning, girly." Shelly called when she noticed her presence.

Julie gave them a smile. "Hey, guys." She sat down next to Shelly and watched Tim cook.

"Smells good, huh?" Shelly asked.

"Yeah." Julie agreed. "What are you making, Tim?"

"Breakfast tacos." He simply replied. She looked so cute, her sleepy face and messy hair. He imagined waking up next to her. What a thought that was before he continued cooking the eggs. He chopped up the cooked bacon and threw it into the eggs before throwing some cheese into the mix. "Done. Let's do this."

Julie helped Tim fold the tacos after he put the mixture in them, then they all ate together while Julie's parents got to sleep in for a change. Shelly only ate one taco then she was off to the shower. Finally, they were alone. Tim walked around the bar and joined Julie on the other side.

"Hey." He smiled.

She smiled back. "Hey." She reached out her hands and grabbed his. His hands were warm and soft.

Tim pulled her up off her seat and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was taking a pretty big risk, hugging her out in the open like he was with her parents just down the hall. He didn't care. It wasn't something he wanted to hide even though he had to.

Julie pulled away and looked up at his lips. She now knew how easy it would be for a girl to give in to Tim Riggins. He was going to get her into some trouble and she knew it. Then her parents were going to kill her.

He grabbed another taco from the counter and started devouring it. Gracie started to fuss in her car seat, where Shelly left her. Julie tried to sooth her baby sister.

Tim watched her interact with the tiny child. She was natural and kind-hearted when it came to that little one. He finished his taco before speaking. "Oh, yeah." He lowered his voice. "I gotta show you this new stuff. It's crazy."

She chuckled. "What? Are we partners again or something?"

"I was an ass. I'm sorry." He would apologize as many times as he had to until she got over it. He wanted her back on the team. "C'mon, buddy." He grinned that devilish grin of his.

The way he called her 'buddy' was more then platonic. He was being seductive. "Stop." She laughed nervously. It was unfamiliar territory with him.

"What?" He flashed his teeth again.

She shook her head at him, playfully. Her dads voice started coming from his bedroom. The bacon surely woke him up.

"Dang! What smells so good out here?" Eric walked into the kitchen clad in his sleeping clothes.

"Hey, Coach."

"Hey, kids." He dug right into one of the tacos that were left over for them. "Man, these are good. You made these, Tim?" Eric had no idea Tim could even make toast much less a full breakfast for the family, and he sure knew Julie didn't do all this. "Thanks, son."

"No problem." Tim moved from his seat at the bar, next to Julie and joined Eric in the kitchen. "If you just leave this here, I'll clean it up when I get back up. I'm 'bout to go back to bed."

"Don't worry about it, boy. We're all about to go do some shopping in a little while anyway, this'll get cleaned up. Jules, you wanna come?" She shook her head no. "Alright." He went back to his taco.

Tim had heard that statement more times then he would have liked to in a twenty-four hour period. He was worried about one thing. "Coach, I'm sorry about the game, too." His head hung in defeat.

"It's okay, Tim. We'll be ready week after next. Got that BYE week this Friday." He said between bites.

"Oh, yeah. Okay, I'll see y'all later then." He darted around Eric and into his bedroom. It was so awkward to be in the same room with just Julie and her dad. If felt like he knew they were sneaking around but he didn't.

Julie waited until the adults left her with Tim and Gracie, to try and wake him up. When she opened his door, he was actually sleeping. Sometimes, he would just go and hang out in his room when he was supposedly sleeping. He was a bit of a loner sometimes.

"Psst, Tim!" Julie called from his door. She didn't trust herself to go back into his room again. Things were different between them now so she had to be cautious.

He moaned. It felt good to sleep in and rest his body. He took a beating last night but didn't really feel it until he woke up early this morning. "Yeah." He rolled from his side onto his back, toward her.

"You ever gonna get up? Everybody's gone."

She was whining like little kid. It was cute. "Alright. Alright. Gimme a minuet." He rubbed his heavy eyes.

"Okay, I'm gonna go get ready. Let's take Gracie out somewhere." She spoke as she walked away.

Tim had woken up, showered, got ready and got baby Gracie dressed all before Julie and she had a head start. He loaded up baby Grace in her car seat and buckled her up in the middle seat of the truck. It worked but this vehicle wasn't really meant for car seats.

There was a car creeping up the street. Tim didn't really pay it any mind until it slowed down and was barley crawling in front of the house. He tried to see who was driving but they were too far away to get a good enough look before they past him. He watched them drive out of distance when Julie finally came out.

"That was weird." He said, just loud enough for her to hear.

Julie looked to the street where Tim was facing. "What?" She didn't see anything weird.

"Somebody just drove by the house real slow, looking at it. I dunno. It was just... weird." He shrugged his shoulders and got into the car with the girls.

* * *

Later that day, Tim and Julie found themselves at Jordan's apartment after dropping off Gracie with her parents. Tim was sitting on the couch again while Jordan played some sort of adventure video game. Julie was in the back bedroom with Brianna, talking or doing whatever it was that girls do.

"Yo." Jordan said, as he played his game. "So, when y'all gonna make it official?"

Tim could not listen to this again. "Dude, no. It's way more complicated then you'd care to know." It really was. There was another girl involved and Julie was his Coach's daughter. It was a tangled web of complicated.

Jordan laughed. "Nothing should matter when two people like each other as much as you two clearly do." He could tell how into each other Tim and Julie were. They were horrible actors. If at any point they were trying to hide their feelings, it wasn't working for them. "Seriously, though." Jordan paused his game and looked at the younger boy. "What exactly are you so worried about?"

Tim sat up from his slouched position against the arm of the couch. He looked toward the hallway to make sure the girls were still back there. "I've been living with her and her parents since Billy died, right? Well, her dad just so happens to be my football Coach. That's a sticky situation of it's own." Tim clasped his hands together. He didn't even want to imagine Eric's face if he found out about him and his daughter.

"Come stay over here, man. Y'all are both welcome. Bri already loves Julie, dude." They laughed. When they stopped, Jordan continued. "Just think about it, okay?"

Tim nodded and Jordan turned back to the television. He let a few moments slip by before he spoke. "There's... there's also this other girl."

Jordan paused the game and dropped the controller on the floor. He joined Tim on the couch and was clearly intrigued. "What? Another girl, huh? Oh, shit."

He thought about Tyra and how he left things between them the other night. Eventually, he'd have to explain himself, he knew that but what would he tell her? That he had feelings for Julie, he didn't think so. "Okay, here's the deal." Tim started, he lowered his voice so only they could hear what he was saying. "My ex, Tyra, we have history. Anyway, so she just came back into the picture when I started living with the Taylor's and I love her. I do, but..."

"You're not in love with her?" Jordan finished the sentence Tim had trouble finishing. He looked over at the brooding football player on his couch. He was struggling with something.

"I don't think I am. I mean, I don't think I can I have these kind of feelings for two different people?"

"I don't know but stuff happens, man. It's not the end of the world. Look, you gotta take care of yourself. Find your happiness and fight for it, you know?"

Tim understood what he was saying. He hadn't seen Jordan get this real since they first met at Billy's funeral. "Words of wisdom." They shared a look before laughing again.

"What are you guys doin' tonight? There's a party going down and y'all should come." Tim thought about it for a minuet without responding. "C'mon, man. You could definitely get rid of some bud."

Tim smiled. "We're in."

* * *

They were screwed and he knew it. It was later then he thought before they left the party. Tim prayed that Julie's parents were sleeping as he drove them up to the house. It was dark except for the front porch lights. Julie wasn't too drunk to walk but if her parents heard her speak they would knowHe did not want to be pinned as a bad influence to her parents.

He helped her out of the car and they walked together to the front door. Once inside Julie went down the hall toward her room and Tim split through the kitchen to the garage. It was so thick and humid inside. He turned off his air conditioner early this morning when it got cold and he forgot to turn it back on. Tim stripped down to what he was going to sleep in after he cut the A/C back on. It was still so hot that he cracked the door to the house before sliding into bed. After a few minuets of laying there in the heat, he couldn't take it any longer. He strolled out of his room in just his boxers and made himself comfortable on the couch. It felt so much better in the living room then in his own room. Just as he felt himself drifting off to sleep he felt a pair of warm hands on his chest.

His eyes opened to see Julie standing in front of him. "Hey. What are you doing?"

She sat down on the edge of the couch where there was a little space, then planted her lips on his.

Tim shut his eyes and kissed her back. She moved onto the couch and straddled his body without breaking their kiss. Her hair fell over his face and tickled but he didn't care. Nothing mattered more in this moment more then her soft lips. Things got pretty hot and heavy before she finally broke apart from him to take a breath. They were both breathing heavy until he pulled her into him and kissed her again.

Julie pulled away again and watched as her hands freely roamed his bare chest. She'd imagined doing what she was doing before but it didn't compare to the real thing. She smiled at him before leaning back in to his lips.

"Hey, Jules, I..."

Julie shot up from Tim and they both scrambled to get up. "Dad- I, uh..." She had no idea what to say. There wasn't anything she could say. He literally caught them in the act.

Eric was frozen in shock. He could not believe what he just walked in on. He glared at Tim as both teenagers stood there in awkward silence. He glanced over at his daughter. "Julie, go get in bed." His angry eyes flickered back at Tim.

Julie looked at Tim, nearly in tears. They both knew they were screwed.

Tim could feel the hatred in Eric's stare. He just fucked everything up. Nothing would be the same after tonight. Nothing. "Coach-" Tim started.

"Don't." Eric spat. "Just don't." He was going to lose his mind. He looked at Tim, standing there with hardly anything on. The guy could seriously have any girl he wanted, so why did he have to go after his daughter? The way she was laying on hi,, kissing him. It made Eric's stomach churn. He pulled out one of the dining chairs and sat down in a daze.

Tim was standing in the middle of the living room in nothing but is underwear. He felt more than awkward. He was disturbed. There was nothing more he wanted then to grab his belongings and get the hell out of there, but he didn't move a muscle. He messed up and Eric Taylor deserved the respect from him to just stay there and deal.

Eric didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell the kid to get the hell out of his house but he cared about Tim's well-being. He felt guilty for having to choose between his family and his player. It was a tough spot.

He couldn't take the silence anymore. "Sir, I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna get my stuff and go, okay?" Tim took a couple steps toward him. "I-I'm sorry." Tim got serious. It was a serious situation between him and Coach, who'd been his only father figure next to Billy. "I know you won't be able to trust me anymore, Coach, and I'm sorry for letting that happen."

Eric stayed quiet. He literally didn't know what to say to the boy so he just let him go.

Once back inside the garage, Tim was back into his clothes from that day in a flash. He packed some clothes into his duffel, then grabbed his cash and stash, before heading out in the night. It was such an odd hour to be kicked out that he would need to find somewhere else to stay, before he could talk to Brianna and Jordan about staying with them. He fucked things up with Tyra so her place was out. Did he have a knack for fucking things up or what? That didn't matter. What did, was where he would be sleeping tonight.

* * *

"Julie, get out here!" Tami knocked on her daughters locked bedroom door.

She already felt the headache coming on as soon as she opened her eyes. Her mother's banging had startled her. "Geez. Okay, mom!" The strain of yelling back at her didn't help at all. Julie threw the covers off her and sat up in her bed.

"Now!"

Julie got up and swung her door open. "What?"

"Get out here. We need to all discuss what happened last night with Tim." Tami was very stern. This wasn't exactly a situation she was ready to deal with again. She'd nearly had a heart attack when she saw Matt buying condoms with his friend last year. Somehow, Julie remained a virgin through that and The Swede but Tim Riggins was a bigger issue then the other boys combined.

Her body slumped over. She was so not in the mood to talk. She felt like shit and needed to get out of this. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Julie moved past her mom and went into the bathroom. She quickly shoved her finger down her throat and made herself dry heave.

"Oh, honey. Are you okay?" She bent down and rubbed Julie's back. "I'll get you some medicine. We'll talk about this later."

Julie grinned when her mother left the room. Her mom was so naive. Last night was a blur but she remembered what happened with Tim. She enjoyed being that close with him. If she wasn't drunk, she didn't think she would have had the courage to make that kind of move. He seemed to appreciate it as much as she did, though.

Tami came back with a glass of water and some Advil. "Here, baby. You take these and you should start to feel better."

Julie took the pills from her mom and washed them down with the cold water. The water was good. She finished the entire glass and then took a deep breath. "What do you want me to say about that, mom?" Julie asked, without making eye contact. She didn't want to see her mother's reaction to her feelings for Tim. "I... I like him." She looked over anyway and saw her mothers disapproving look. "It's different from Anton and... it's different from Matt."

Tami shut her eyes. That was not what she wanted to hear. Her daughter had fallen for the tricks of a classic womanizer. "Jules..." She whispered.

She needed to get things off her chest and he wasn't living here anymore anyway. She stood in her doorway last night when her dad told her to go to bed. Her dad was acting weird so she had to know what he was going to say to Tim. He literally said nothing. She couldn't quite see them but it was quite for a little while.

"You weren't gonna...you know. Were you?"

Julie's thoughts were lost for the moment by her mother's unsubtle question. She thought about it before responding. If her dad hadn't ever come out and caught them, would she have gone that far with him? Her mother always told her that the first time was the most important and special time but she had to make sure she was ready. "I don't know. Nothing got that far so it doesn't even matter."

"It does mater. Julie, you're a virgin."

She stood up from the toilet she didn't throw up in. "Thanks for the newsflash, mom. Maybe say it a little louder next time, I don't think the neighbors heard you." She went back into her room and slammed the door.

* * *

**thanks for reading! review are appreciated. :) chapter nine soon.**


	9. Listen Up

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter nine**

**listen up**

"Ay, Tim! Get up, yo!"

Tim could hear Jordan's deep voice booming from the living room. He'd definetly overslept because his body felt heavy and weak. There wasn't even a game yesterday due to the BYE week, but there was an intense practice instead. Coach Taylor had been drilling him all week long but Tim took every bit of it, deservingly.

It had already been a week since Tim moved out of Julie's house. It was weird not to be driving there everyday or playing with baby Gracie. Things were a lot different living on his own. He talked to Jordan on Sunday after he got kicked out and then moved in that same day. He was pretty lucky to have Jordan and Brianna to turn to. Where would he have been without them? Obviously, not at his old house or at Tyra's place. The night he got kicked out he ended up pulling off onto an empty lot that was for sale. He had to climb a gate to open it and pull in but other then that it was a smooth sailing night. He tried to sleep in the safety of his truck cab but ended up under the stars in the bed of it.

He rolled out of bed and walked out with just some basketball shorts on. Julie was on the couch with Brianna talking about something or other. He smiled. "Hey, Jules." She'd been bringing him the rest of his stuff in boxes and the ones sitting on the dining room table should finally have been the last of it.

"Hey, you." Her parents tried to forbid her to see him after what had happened. That lasted a whole two days, but she still talked to him at school so it didn't really count. She wasn't the only one in the doghouse, either. Shelly had spilled the beans about knowing something had been going on with her and Tim since she'd been there. She got up and kissed him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Alone." Tim chuckled.

Julie hugged his bare torso. "Well, I'm telling my parents I'm staying with Lois this weekend. She owes me, anyway. So, can I sleep here tonight?" She looked up at him with her hazel eyes.

Her beauty took his breath away. He looked at the freckles that splashed over her nose and cheeks. She wasn't even wearing makeup, besides a little sparkley eye shadow. Julie was a naturally beautiful girl. "Of course." He gave her a tight squeeze back.

"Aw." Brianna said from the couch. "I knew you guys were gonna get together. It was totes obvious."

Julie smiled. It wasn't that obvious to her. In fact, she still couldn't believe that she was involved with Tim Riggins. She was a little worried about the situation but she couldn't control her feelings. He had a reputation that she and everybody else was aware of. They hadn't made themselves exclusive or given their relationship a title yet, they just enjoyed each other's company. _Lie._ There was more to it then that. "Shut up." Julie laughed. She untangled her arms from his and joined her friend back on the sofa.

Tim slumped down on the couch next to her. He got a momentary flash of deja vu. He recalled his freshman and sophomore years at Billy's house. Tyra was always hanging around and the house didn't have any rules. It was pretty similar to his current situation, except there was Julie now instead of Tyra and no Billy. Tim felt his forehead crease at the thought of his older brother. It was still so unrealistic sometimes that he was gone. Just gone.

"You okay, man?" Jordan asked after making a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. He joined the other three in the living room and sat down on the floor.

Tim put on a facade. "Oh, yeah." He tried his best to act like nothing was on his mind. It was definitely easier when everybody else was preoccupied. Jordan was chowing down on his cereal and the girls were talking. Tim sat there a listened to them for a few moments. Their conversation topics would change after a few short sentences. It was like something would pop into their heads and without filter, they would blurt it out. He looked over at Julie and watched her interact with the other girl. He silently cursed himself for getting her involved with situations and people like this.

His situation could be a lot worse. If Billy never sold drugs that would have caused Tim to never meet Jordan. If Jordan didn't come to the rescue, after Billy died, with all that money, Tim had no idea where he would be. He should have been in a foster home but dodged that bulled when Eric and Tami took him in.

Jordan dumped his dishes in the sink when he was finished eating. "Aight. We need to roll something up. I'm gonna go work on that. Baby, can you split a wrap?"

"Yeah." Brianna's little body bounced off the couch and grabbed their hide-away off the counter. It was a hollow box that looked like a book on the outside. If it was on a shelf full of real books, it wouldn't be suspicious at all. She sat back down and grabbed a cigar out of one of the packages inside.

Julie watched in curiosity as Brianna's tiny fingers split open the blunt right down the middle. Once it was open, the older girl dumped the tobbaco onto the edge of the coffee table and laid the wrap down next to its insides. When Jordan came back out with the weed, Julie scooted in closer to Tim so he could sit down and roll. She watched him break up the little buds and wrap them tightly into the long brown wrap.

Jordan lit it and hit it before passing if off. The smell was musky and skunk like. Each time the blunt was hit more and more smoke filled into the tiny living room.

After it was about halfway gone, Tim held it in his hand. "Dude, I can't even hit this anymore." He laughed. "I'm so high." He tried to give it to Julie and she didn't want it either. "Yeah. Here, man." He stood up and gave it to Jordan before heading to the restroom. "Be right back."

Tim used the toilet then darted into the room he was using to grab his phone. When he didn't see it on his bedside table he looked in between the tangled sheets. He found it under one of the pillows and picked it up. He glanced out the window for a moment and noticed something peculiar. The same car that drove by the Taylor's house, the other day, was now driving by his black truck in the parking lot. The driver was a guy with some sort of facial hair. That's all Tim could see from his window on the second floor. The vehicle stopped directly behind both his and Jordan's cars. He stared out his window until he heard someone join him in his room.

Julie walked in and sat down on the bed. "Hey. What are you doing?"

Tim was a little spooked. "Uh, nothing. Just getting my phone." He took a look at it. There was a message from those gay kids from Temple, followed by a few other by people all needing the same thing. Herb. He slid his phone into his pocket and sat down next to Julie. He'd get back to them later, it was still early in the day.

Julie laid back on his bed and closed her eyes. Her body felt like it was floating and her mind was blank. Any cares she had in the world were momentairly gone. It was freeing. She felt Tim lay down next to her and put his hand on her stomach.

Tim was distracted from his problems when Julie was around. She would consume all of his attention without even trying to. What he really should have been doing right now, was talking to Jordan about that guy who may or may not be following him. Although, the substance he was on was causing him not to care. He stared at her, silently, as she was lying there motionless.

"This... just isn't what I thought drugs would be like." She giggled and faced him. "All they want you to see is the dirty junkies when it comes to drugs and stuff."

"You're a dirty junkie." Tim laughed. Yes, pot was illegal but it was hardly considered a drug in his eyes. Weed wasn't like crack or meth, it wasn't man made. If you just so happened to find a marijuana plant, all you would do to it was break it down and dry it out. Other then that it was completely natural and it just made its users hungry, happy and sleepy.

Julie playfully slapped him. "Stop, babe." They both looked at each other when that word was spoken. She'd accidentally let it slip from her lips. "Oh, uh... sorry." She laughed it off, it had felt so natural to call him that.

It sounded so sweet when she called him that name. "It's okay." He paused. She looked troubled. "I know this is all so confusing, I just don't know what to do." He sat up, feeling too high to have a real conversation. He was now wishing he could he sober.

Julie sat up, too. "I know, my parents. It's so messed up. Not to mention Tyra."

Tim sighed. He'd been brushing off Tyra all week and so had Julie. How were they going to break the news to her about them? That was tricky. "Oh, yeah. She's going to flip."

"Yeah, she is."

* * *

Tyra found herself on the couch with Landry, watching a movie that was nearly over. She knew about his feelings but she couldn't help being his friend. He was good company when he wasn't in a jealous rage or pouring out his heart. He was unknowingly helping Tyra keep herself distracted from her problems.

It had been about a week and she still wasn't able to confront Tim about leaving that night. She didn't even know if she was still in a relationship with Tim or if she ever was. They'd just been hanging out and hooking up, they didn't cover any ground rules or anything. She just could not get to him at all. The plan was now to talk to him first thing Monday morning and this time not take any lame excuses. He was going to talk to her. He owed her for walking out right after she let him have sex with her. That was messed up.

He'd left her feeling both used and confused. Tyra beat herself up over it until she broke down and called Landry. Exactly what she didn't want to happen with Tim, happened. Why did he have to be so damn irresistible to her? Besides his looks, nothing stuck out in her mind but there was something else about him.

"You alright over there?"

"Yeah." _No._ She lied. The situation with Tim was between her and him. Landry wouldn't take to well to her talking about him anyway. She also kept quiet about the part where she slept with Tim, multiple times. "I'm fine."

"Okay. Well, it's gettin' a little late. You want me to crash on the sofa tonight or just go home?" Landry asked. He could tell she was distracted by something.

Tyra cleared her throat. "You can stay here tonight. Mom's asleep and Mindy, may or may not be home later." She got up and shut off the movie.

Landry watched as she sighed and ran her fingers through her short hair. "Tyra, before you go," He started. She looked over at him with her pretty blue eyes, making something catch in his throat. He swallowed it down hard before he could speak. "What's really going on?" He continued before she could say anything. "A-And don't just say that nothing is wrong, 'cause I know better then that. We've been hanging out since last year, I think I know when somethings wrong with you."

Tyra stared at him with her sad eyes. She needed somebody to talk to about this but normally it would have been Julie. She, too, was ignoring her and Tyra didn't know why. What had she done that she deserved to be treated like this by two of her closest friends? Emotions were swirling around inside of her and they finally boiled over. "It's..." Tears filled and fell from her eyes.

Normally, Landry would have jumped up and been right at her side trying to soothe her, but she made things very clear a couple weeks ago when she went off on him. He'd been trying to think about his actions before acting, so things between them wouldn't be weirder then they had to be.

"Tim and Julie have been ignoring me all week." She tried to gather herself. "I donno, maybe I'm just bad company."

"You are not bad company. They're being stupid for not wanting to spend time with you. Time is our most valuable form of currency." He got up. "C'mon, Tyra. Let's get you to bed."

Landry had a way with words that no other boy their age did. He said some pretty random things sometimes, but it was usually deep and meaningful. Why couldn't she fall for a nice guy like him? Why must she only be attracted to emotionally unavailable guys like Tim?

* * *

Later that night, Tim and Julie were back at Jordan and Brianna's place. They spent the day finally going out on some deals together and made quite a bit of money, too. Julie was surprised at how many people, she didn't know smoked pot, were hitting them up for it. Dillon may seem like a nice, quiet little town but every place had its seedy underbelly.

They finished watching a show they started with their friends, who went to bed early, before heading to bed themselves.

Julie had lied to her parents about where she would be sleeping tonight and they seemed to buy it. She knew how to coax her mother but things were a little more tricky when it came to her dad. He was a coach so he was a hard ass, even when it came to his little girl.

Tim yawned. "Yeah, let's go." He clicked off the TV with the remote then pulled Julie up off the couch with him.

"I'm so tired." She moaned as she fell face first into his bed. It was so much softer feeling then when she sat on it at her house.

"Me, too." Tim smiled as she just laid on her stomach in the middle of his bed. "C'mon. You can't sleep in all those clothes." He turned her body over with not much effort at all.

"Gosh." She laughed. "Alright, alright." She got up and began to shed the clothes she didn't need. She wasn't as nervous as she thought she'd be, to take her clothes off in front of a boy. Not just any boy either, Tim had seen numerous girls laying before him naked and willing. She had an unusual sense of comfort with him, which was more than likely from their unusual relationship.

Tim slipped off the t-shirt he was wearing while she disrobed. He looked at her body as she took off her shorts. She was wearing tiny little, pink booty shorts underneath and they looked really good on her. Tim became more aware of his own body parts. He blushed at his dirty thoughts of Julie Taylor and got into bed.

She laid down next to him and brushed up against his warm body. Julie gasped and pulled away. She was nervous that something serious was going to happen and didn't know if she was quite ready for it.

"It's okay." He moved in closer to her. He laid on his side and slid his hand under her shirt to touch her warm belly. He could tell she was scared of something. Of course she was. She was a virgin, it complicated things. He had his fair share of virgins in the past, most of them being half drunk rally girls, but none of them were Coach Taylor's daughter. Nor did he have feelings for any of those girls.

"Tim, I..." Julie let out a deep breath. Her nerves were becoming too much to handle. She just wasn't ready to have sex. His reputation scared her more then she was letting on. He used to sleep with girls and never really talk to them again. Sex was a huge deal for girls. Julie didn't understand whey guys didn't get that.

"We don't have to do anything." He kissed her mouth before continuing. His hand moved from her stomach and found her hip bone. "I'm not going to pressure you. I like you, Julie." He looked her dead in the eye. "A lot."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you." She whispered, a little embarrassed. For the first time, right this moment, she believed that he had real feelings for her. He seemed to be truly genuine when telling her how he felt.

"Here, turn over."

Julie turned on her side facing away from Tim. She felt him scoot his body into hers and then put his arm around her. It felt nice to just lay with him and not care or worry about anything. She closed her eyes and listened to his breathing steady as he tried to fall asleep.

Her scent was all he could focus on as he laid there with his eyes closed. Somehow, her hair always smelled amazing. It was definetly something he could get used to.

What felt like minuets later, which turned out to be hours, Tim awoke when Jordan barged into their bedroom.

"Dude! Dude! Look out the window!" Jordan dashed right over to the only window in Tim's room. He was woken up to the sound of glass breaking at three in the morning.

Tim shot out of bed and joined his friend. That same vehicle that was there earlier and at the Taylor's house was back. Three guys were standing around Jordan's car and beating it with baseball bats. "Holy shit, Jordan, what do they want?"

"Fuck if I know!"

"What, you don't know them?" Tim asked, confused as to why this was happening.

"I-I think I know one of them. He tried to hustle me out of some money for protection or something a while ago."

"What the fuck! What do we do, go down there?" Those three guys were older and bigger then him and Jordan. A fight between them wouldn't end in their favor.

"What's going on?" Julie asked, a little frigntened at how the guys were acting.

Tim looked over at her wrapped up in his blanked. "Stay over there, baby." He gave her a reassuring look even though she knew something was happening.

"Fuck, dude! My car!" Jordan whisper yelled.

"Well, go down there and make them stop!" Tim's tone was sarcastic. They were both crouching at a window in the dark, yelling at each other. It was feeling a little ridiculous. Jordan made some sort of moaning noise before he left Tim's room. The banging and glass breaking stopped a few short moments after he left. Tim watched as the guys piled back into their car and drive off. He joined Julie on the bed to comfort her. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. What happened?" She moved over and leaned on him. Somehow, touching him calmed her down.

"Some guys were down there beating Jordan's car with bats. It was crazy." Tim stood up but didn't disconnect from Julie's grasp on his arm. "Hey, Jordan! They left!" He called out of the open door.

Jordan came back and poked his head into the room. "You comin', man? I'm going down there to see what the fuck they did?"

Tim looked back at Julie before responding. "I'll meet you down there. I'm gonna make sure she's okay."

"Yeah, Bri kinda freaked, too. Shit like this doesn't happen to us, man." He dipped back out as quickly as he came in.

Tim turned back to Julie.

"I'm fine, Tim." She said, before he asked her again. "I'll stay here with Bri, you can go." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it before calling for Brianna.

Tim left the girls once they were together in his bedroom. He went out the front door to find Jordan downstairs by their cars. His car was fucked up. All four headlights were smashed in, the windows were broken and the hood had some heavy dents. "Damn, dude. Should we call the cops?"

"Oh, yeah, let's do that. Let's just have an officer walk up to our front door and tell them some crazy, speed-balling, drug dealers vandalized my car."

Tim looked at him, suspiciously. "So, you know who did this?"

"It was this guy, his name _is _Guy." Jordan paused. "He'd fucked in the head. Cornered me at a party a mutual friend was having and was trying to make me pay him off to sell shit in his territory. Bullshit."

"Damn." Tim didn't really want to get involved in this kind of stuff. "Did you pay him?"

"I gave him a few bills to just shut up and get out of my face, but now... I don't know what he wants."

* * *

**thanks for reading! reviews are appreciated. :) next ch soon**


	10. Livin' La Vida Loca

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter ten**

**livin' la vida loca**

Monday morning couldn't have come any quicker. Tim, Julie, Jordan and Brianna spent all day Sunday looking over their shoulders. Nothing ever happened but they spent the entire day indoors. Tim was glad he could get back to some sort of normalcy by waking up early and getting ready for school.

Julie had finally gone home last night after spending the entire weekend at his apartment. Speaking of his apartment, he was already wishing he had his own place where nobody knew where he lived. He knew what it was like to get your car fucked up by other people. When it happened to him he had just pulled up to Billy's, when guys from the team were waiting for him. They smashed up his stuff pretty good for Jason's sake, even though it should have been an ass whooping instead.

Tim could easily say that sleeping with Lyla Garrity behind his best friends back, while he was in the hospital, was his biggest mistake. Things between him and Jason had never been the same. He was coaching alongside Coach Taylor so they saw each other, but things would only have a chance to go back to normal if Jason ever decided to get rid of Lyla. She was their problem.

His phone was already ringing before he even got down to his truck. Glass was still scattered over the parking lot and he crunched down on some as he stepped into his truck. He took a moment to look at his missed call before turning on the car. It was Tyra. Again. He had to get to practice now but he made a mental note to talk to her today.

Tyra waited at Tim's locker after lunch. She knew he always stopped by his locker to pick up the stuff he left in it before lunch, she did date him for a few years after all. When he finally showed, she rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey. What's up?" He smiled his dumb smile as he walked up to her.

She was leaning against his locker, which caused him to focus on her. "Where the hell have you been? You could answer that for starters."

Tim could tell she was pissed. "I'm staying at this guy's apartment for right now. Coach kicked me out." He knew exactly what question she was going to think of next, but would she take kindly to his answer? Probably not.

"What did you do, Tim?" He looked down at his feet and shuffled his weight. He was a dead giveaway. "Oh, my God, Tim!" She really couldn't believe him right now. There was something seriously wrong with him if he couldn't control himself in his own Coach's house. She leaned into him and lowered her voice from the people passing by. "Have you gone crazy? Hooking up with Julie Taylor isn't the best move you could make, Tim. I really can't believe she'd be that dumb, either."

"Tyra, shut up. I didn't sleep with her." Of course, she went there with him, with their history why wouldn't she? He'd cheated on her enough times to make a regular girl deeply depressed and self conscious, but Tyra was emotionally stronger then that. She had a rough upbringing with her family, just like he did.

"Well, what happened then?" She prodded.

Tim recalled the night he was kicked out of the Taylor's. "Julie, uh, kissed me. She was kinda drunk and her dad saw us." He shook his head. "It was bad, but look, Tyra, I'm sorry for leaving like that the other night."

"You like her, don't you?" His lack of response gave her the answer she needed. "Damn, Tim, like, are we gonna go through this every year until you just realize..." She stopped, on the brink of tearing up in the middle of the hallway, but that's how frustrated he made her.

"Realize what?"

She looked him in the eye after gathering herself. "That you're supposed to be with me. Not Lyla, or Julie, or those whore rally girls... but me. You'll see."

Tyra left him standing there in a daze. He shut his eyes and let out a stressful breath, before looking over and catching one last glimpse of her as she turned the corner. He had a lot on his plate and didn't want to deal with this complication at the moment. Tim grabbed his stuff from his locker then proceeded to head to class.

* * *

After school, Julie headed to her mom's office to see if she could catch a ride home with her since Tim had a late practice. She needed to figure out a way to get her mother to approve of the idea of her and Tim anyway. That was easier said then done, especially with her parents. Sometimes, if Julie could get her mother to side with her on something, together they could team up on her dad and win. That wasn't going to be easy at all with this sore topic.

She found her mother at her desk, which was covered in paperwork. "Hey, mom."

Tami looked up. "Hey, Julie. How you doing, baby?" She looked back down at her files.

"Uh, good." She sat down on the little love seat her mom had moved next to her desk. She took a moment to remember the intense weekend she'd had. It was intense in two different ways. First off, some crazy guys harassed them. The whole weekend was ruined since the attack on Jordan's car made everybody too paranoid to do anything. Second, things with Tim were getting serious. She succeeded in not giving in, but her desire for him was getting harder to deal with. "I think we need to talk."

Tami looked up, intrigued. Her daughter was never the one to initiate a serious conversation. "About what?"

"Look, I-I know you don't wanna talk about this but we have to. Mom, I'm, um..."

"Don't, Julie. You can not be serious about him." Tami was highly concerned about the time her daughter was spending with Tim. It was one thing having them hang out mostly supervised when he lived at their house, but Julie was going to where he was living now and that wasn't okay in her book.

"Mom, c'mon. You know he's a good guy. I mean, you let him move in with us, that has to count for something." Julie already felt like she was losing this battle but she had to be heard. "We're together... mom. I-I like him." There she went, lying again. It was becoming natural.

"Please, tell me you're joking. Right now, Julie, tell me that you're joking." She stood from her desk and closed her office door. Though the school was nearly deserted, this conversation had to stay in private. News of her daughter involved with a guy like Tim Riggins would be fodder to the football moms. "You can't just be running around town with those kind of boys, honey. He's hooked up with half the state, probably."

"What at you talking about? Do we really have to always go there?" She knew her mother was going to bring up the fact that she was a virgin and boys were only after sex. It was the perfect opportunity for her to do it.

"You just need to-"

"To be ready. I know, mother." Julie stood when her mom tried to sit down on the sofa next to her. "You have to start letting me live my own life. If, and when I'm ready... I'll do it with whoever I want."

Tami's jaw dropped. Julie had never spoken to her like that in her entire sixteen years.

"Don't look so shocked, mom. You're the one who regrets who you gave it up to." She walked to the door and spoke again before leaving. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna make your mistakes."

* * *

"C'mon, guys! I got a little girl at home that I'd like to see sometime today!" Coach Taylor hollered from the sideline.

Tim was doing extra practice with Matt, Smash and Santiago to get ready for Friday's game and to get back on Coach's good side. It wasn't working though, anything he did was never praised. He used to get praised all the time for doing things right, when he wasn't drunk or hungover.

"Santiago, c'mon, Tight Ends gotta be able to catch the ball, too! Don't be scared of it, son!"

They lined up and ran the same play.

"Hey, man. Quit stressing." Smash said, after another failed attempt. "You just gotta pretend like we're kids, just playing in the street, man. Look, you already got the stealing part down, like Riggins stole Matty's girl." He laughed.

"Shut up, Williams!" Riggins said. He looked over at Matt who was giving him a weird look. "What, Seven?"

"You know, there is that rumor going around that you and Julie are together." Matt started.

Smash laughed. "Yeah, there is."

"So, is it true, Riggins?" Matt asked, maybe a little too interested.

"Ay, quit standing around, ladies! Run it one more time then you can get out of here!" Eric said, before heading inside. "I'll see y'all tomorrow. "

Coach interrupted before Tim could get a word in about the Julie rumor, but he knew they weren't going to let him off the hook without answering. Especially, Smash. He had one of the biggest mouths at the entire school, so he had to get the details. The four of them ran through the play again and Santiago was successful at catching the slanted route pass this time.

Jordan was sitting alone in the quiet living room when Tim walked in, after finally leaving practice. "What's happening, man?" Tim was surprised the guy wasn't puffing on something, instead he was on his phone.

"Chillin', chillin'. Might be locking in a fat deal tonight. This dude has been fucking around for weeks, but now he's talking real talk." He said, without ever taking his eyes from his phone. "What are you doin', bro?"

"Nothing, just got done with practice." He tossed his gym bag to the floor. "Who's the deal with?"

"This guy Joe. He's a pretty big supplier over in East Dillon so if he starts buying, the money will start rolling in."

"Are you riding over there then?" Tim asked.

"Shit, my car's fucked. I can't drive that at night with no headlights, my ass will get pulled over for sure."

"You need to get those and the windows fixed, man. If you need to, you can borrow the truck tonight. Where do you have to meet him?"

Jordan finally set his phone down. "I was gonna go out there, yeah, and meet him, but you think I can borrow it now? My homie just got some Colorado medicinal strain in and I'm gonna go get some. Wanna come?"

Tim sighed. He was tired and he had other stuff to deal with. "Nah, I better stay here. Keep me posted, though. I'll watch the place." After the other night, Tim felt more comfortable if there was always somebody home. Jordan could easily manage the day time while Tim was at school, since he had no other pressing job.

"Alright, cool." Jordan got up and threw on his sneakers. "You gonna be okay here?"

Tim pulled his keys from his tight pocket. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He tossed them to Jordan before pulling himself off the couch. "I'll just call Julie or something. Catch you later, man." He pounded fists with Jordan and headed to his bedroom.

* * *

"Julie, honey!" Tami called from the living room. Her phone happened to go off while Julie was out of the room. She was probably in Sherry's room but left her phone on the coffee table. She was still upset with her from their little talk they had after school, so now Julie was avoiding her like the plague. Tami didn't get a response so she looked over to see who was calling.

"Hey, Tyra. How are you, girl?" Tami asked, taking the liberty to answer since she knew who it was.

"Oh, uh, hey, Mrs. T. I'm good. How are you and the little one doing?"

"Good, we're all doing good here. We've been missing you though, sweetie. Haven't had you over for dinner in a few weeks." Tami stood and paced the living room, while Gracie Belle was lying contently in her play pen. She really did miss the tall blonde who befriended her daughter. At first, their friendship didn't make Tami happy but then she actually got to know the blue eyed girl and came to love her like another daughter.

"Yeah, i-it's been awhile. I was calling to see why Julie has been avoiding me, but she hasn't been taking my calls or texts all week." Tyra knew she was spreading business that should be kept between the three parties, but telling Tami might be the only way to get her message to Julie.

"Oh, honey, I can't even begin to tell you what's going on with that girl. She's telling me she likes Tim and that they're together. Meanwhile, I'm just going ballistic." She wasn't even sure if she could talk to her own husband about this. Sure, he caught them kissing and kicked the boy out, but he didn't know about their conversation earlier today. "You should come over, Tyra. Maybe we could both try to talk to her."

Tyra was a little taken back at the news that Tim and Julie were together. That was not the story she'd heard from him, or he just so happened to leave that bit of information out when they spoke. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, but she still needed to talk to Julie. "We should do that this weekend, maybe. I've got work tonight and stuff, but could you please tell Julie to call me later?"

"Yeah, no problem. Have a good night, Tyra."

"Okay, I promise I'll see you this weekend."

Tami sat back down on the couch. "Alright. Bye, now."

"Hey, who was that?" Julie asked, as she came back into the living room. She'd been in Shelly's room hanging out and talking. Sherry was the only person in the house that could give her an unbiased opinion about her situation with Tim.

"Oh, it was Tyra. She was calling to see why you haven't been talking to her. Honey, what's going on with you two?"

Julie sat down next to her mother. She took her phone from her and stared down at it.

Tami could tell there was something going on. "Jules, is-is it Tim?" Julie nodded, while she continued to stare at her lap. That motion made Tami realized that Julie's feelings for this boy were strong. She never acted like this with Matt when he was her boyfriend and they saw how well the turned out anyway. Tami liked Tim, but she knew the kind of reputation he had and did not want her daughter to end up like one of those rally girls the players used. She'd counseled plenty of them to know just how damaged them were. "Oh, honey." She rubbed Julie's shoulder.

"I know it's stupid," Julie started, on the verge of crying. "But he's different with me." Julie didn't know how to explain the connection she felt with Tim but it was real. "I can't help how I feel about him." She turned to her mom.

Tami's heart was about to break at the sight of Julie's sad face. She remembered her first love. The feelings were intense and uncontrollable, just as Julie was describing. Her personal experience turned out to be a bad one. The guy had been lying and cheating behind her back and she'd already given him her virginity by the time she figured it all out. That's why she was being so protective over her Julie. "It's okay, Julie. It's normal to feel the way you do. I remember being a teenager myself and it was hard. You're also right, sweetie, I can't tell you how to live your life anymore. You are grown up enough to make you're own choices."

Julie was a little surprised her mom would give in that easily. It made her happy that she wouldn't be trying to control parts of her life that she shouldn't. "So, will you talk to dad about giving Tim another chance?"

"Yeah, but now with your relationship he won't ever be allowed to live here or anything like that."

"Well, yeah, I know that. I just want him to be able to come over and hang out with us. I know dad's upset with Tim but he'll get over it, he loves him."

Tami smiled. "You saw how excited he was to have Tim move in with us. One night, I caught them up with Shelly around four in the morning, playing freaking ping pong in the garage. They were such nerds together." For a few seconds, Tami wondered what life would have been like if Julie had been a boy instead. He'd be a football player more than likely, knowing Eric. She thanked the fact that she had girls and moved on.

* * *

After school the next day, Tim was headed back to his truck. Jordan had successfully locked in his new client, Joe, last night. Tim had passed out before he even got back but they were able to talk a little this morning before he left for school. He stopped and pulled out his phone when he reached his vehicle. He hadn't talked to Julie since yesterday, though it felt like longer. So, he sent her a quick text to meet him at the truck, then something out of the corner of his eye made him freeze.

There was a rather large guy standing maybe fifty, sixty feet from where Tim was, watching him. He looked like an average redneck, wearing boots, jeans and a white undershirt. Tim recognized him from the night Jordan's car got messed up, his obnoxious facial hair and large body were the tell. He tensed up and was a little scared because he knew what this guy was willing to do and there were just a few people around. They stared each other down for a few short minuets until Julie came walking up.

"Hey, Tim. I didn't know if you'd be able to take me so I was waiting for my mom."

He broke his locked on glare with the stranger and looked over at Julie. He looked back toward the man, who was now smiling. "Hey, yeah, why don't we just get in and get out of here." He opened his door and nudged Julie to get in on his side.

"Okay, I got it. What's going on, Tim?" She looked at him and noticed that he was looking at somebody across the parking lot. "Who's that?"

"Just get in." Tim got in after her and slammed the door behind him. "Shit." This whole thing was getting a little to unnerving for him. Somebody was following and watching him. That's a hell of a scary thing. Tim threw the truck into reverse, backed up and took off. They pulled out of the parking lot and hit the main road a little too fast.

"Tim, seriously, what the hell is going on?" She hated when he didn't answer her.

"That was one of the guys that were fucking up the car the other night. I think he's following me." He was kicking himself for putting Julie's safety at risk. He could never live with himself if he let something happen to her. "I can't believe this is happening right now."

"Well, maybe you should slow down a little. Let's not get pulled over or anything."

"Why, you got some drugs on you, ma'am?" Tim cracked a smile, trying to break the current of tension flowing through his body.

Julie looked down. "Yeah, I do." He just stared at her. "What? Bri gave me some the other night."

Back at the apartment, Tim locked them inside and finally felt a sense of relief. He watched Julie as she set her things down and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, but shit, Tim, what are we going to do? That was crazy." She was just now taking in how serious of a situation they were in. It was a bit overwhelming for a sixteen year old girl to handle. She wasn't just worried about herself, she had Tim to worry for, too. Since she initiated their partnership, they were in this together no matter what.

"Hey, come here, babe." He moved to her with his arms open to her.

She let him wrap his arms around her tightly as she buried herself into him. "I just don't want anything bad to happen." She let out a breath before going on. "Do you think something will?"

"I hope not. Ugh, I wish we could go somewhere else where no one could find us." Tim remembered that the guys who knew where Jordan's apartment was, also knew where Julie's house was. He didn't want to let Julie out of his sight until all this got straightened out but he knew that was impossible.

"Me, too." She let go of him and led him by the hand down the hallway to his room.

"So, what's all this about Bri giving you bud?" Tim half smiled and wondered why she needed a personal stash. "You got a little stress weed, huh?" He teased, as he kicked off his shoes next to his dresser.

Julie sat down on the bed. "Maybe, yeah. You're not always around, but I don't have to tell you that."

"Yeah, I know." He didn't regret anything that happened with him and Julie, but he did wish he could have continued living with her family. Then, he could always know where she was and what she was doing. Tim sat down next to her and laid back. He was exhausted and stressed, it was an odd combination.

"See, that's what this weed is for. It's nice to be temporarily stress free." She pulled a small wooden pipe and a baggie from her purse. "Here." She laid the items on his lap.

Her hand lingered on his thigh and he noticed. He sat up and put his hand on top of hers. She was so close to going down a road he wasn't sure she was ready for. "I don't think it's the weed that either of us want." He let the pipe and bag slide from his lap, onto the floor. He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck.

Julie knew what she was about to get into but she couldn't stop herself, he was so intoxicating. "Tim, I-"

He stopped. "I know, I know. I'm sor-"

"No." She cut him off, her breathing heavy. She looked him in his green eyes. "I want to."

* * *

**thanks for the read. feel free to review. more to come. :)**


	11. Lay Your Cards Out

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter eleven**

**lay your cards out**

The sun was barley coming up over the tree line when Tim pulled in front of the athletics. He sat there for a moment and took in the silence. He was getting deeper and deeper into trouble and couldn't see a direct way out. What made things even worse for him was having Julie involved. He knew from the get go that it wasn't a good idea for them to sell drugs together, but he let her anyway. He had to protect her and had plans after practice with Jordan, to do just that.

Tim looked over to the passengers side of the cab. She'd been sitting right there, not even twelve hours ago, when he took her back home. He remembered touching her cheek and the way she smiled at him before she got out. He didn't know if what he was feeling was love, but it was something he had never felt before.

The sound of a car door slamming stirred him from his thoughts of sleeping with Julie last night. During regular school hours the lot was full of cars, belonging to staff and students, but right now it was just the football players and Coach. He got out and went straight to his locker. He'd gotten a new one that happened to be directly in front of Coach Taylor's office.

"Riggins, get in here!" Eric called when he saw him.

"Shit." Tim mumbled to himself just as he got to his locker. Coach was not the person he wanted to deal with right now. It was too early, he just wanted to get changed out and on the field. He hesitantly walked into the office and closed the door behind him. "Yeah, Coach?"

"Go on, sit down." He carried on after Tim did so. "So, what's all this about you and Julie I've been hearing? People around here are talking about the two of you and now, I've got my wife in my ear about it at home."

Tim shut his eyes tightly for a moment. He knew this was coming. "Um..." There were literally no words he could think of to say. He just looked at his Coach with uneasy eyes.

"It's true then? Look, I just wanna know what's going on in my little girl's life. She's been so distant towards me since I gave you the boot and I'm tired of it." He took his hat off and tossed it onto the desk in front of him. "So, what is it? 'Cause I can tell you what it isn't. This ain't a game, son. You are not going to hurt my daughter in any way, do you understand that?"

Coach's voice was firm and sharp. "Yes, sir. I do." He reminisced on his night with Julie again and cracked a small smile. Their experience had been so different from any other time he'd been with someone. For him, it had actually meant something, it wasn't just another meaningless night with another meaningless girl.

"The heck you smilin' about?"

"N-Nothing, Coach."

"I'm not sayin' that I'm happy with the situation. I didn't raise that precious girl for her to be used and washed up, you hear?"

"What's that mean?" Tim asked.

Eric glared at Tim, he knew what was meant. "Do I really need to say it? Fine, you're not going to have sex with Julie. Clear?"

Tim smirked. It was too late for that, but he didn't need to know just yet. Eric Taylor would be heartbroken on the day he would find out Julie was no longer innocent. Tim didn't have the guts to make today that day. "Crystal. It's different with her, sir. Yeah, I know, bullshit, right? I won't hurt her. I'd never disrespect you like that."

Eric didn't mind that he cursed. It didn't phase him. "I appreciate that."

"Okay, I'm gonna go change, Coach."

"A'ight. We'll talk later." Eric put his hat back on and started getting ready to head out to the field with his boys. He piled up some paperwork he was going over last night and grabbed the playbook from underneath. Tim hadn't shut the door all the way on his way out and he heard some chatter from the guys.

"I call bullshit. I just don't think Riggins' even has the balls to pop that cherry." A voice spoke up but he couldn't pin it to a person. He continued to listen with them unaware he was doing so.

"What and you think you do?" Smash's laughter boomed in the confined space. "I'm not even lying, guys. That's what she said."

"Smash, can you just shut up!" Matt suddenly called from his locker. "All you do is talk, can't you ever just shut up?"

"Yeah, yeah. Mind your business over there, Matty." Smash barked before turning back to the guys that were near his locker.

"You're telling me to mind my own business? Smash, have you even met yourself? You're the one over there spreading gossip about Julie and Riggins like a girl."

Tim listened to the conversation from his locker. He really couldn't believe that Smash was going on about him when he was right there. It also confused him as to how a rumor of him and Julie was already spreading to this extent. Somebody was talking and he wanted to know who.

Smash walked closer to Matt. Now, most the guys in the locker room were focused on the two arguing. "Look, Matt. Just 'cause you couldn't get the virginity out of little Ms. Taylor, ain't no reason to start hating. Don't look so mad, you'll get yours but now she'll be getting hers from big Rigg." Smash laughed.

Tim looked over to Coach Taylor's office and he was glaring right at him. _Damn. _He'd heard everything. Just as Tim was going to attempt to put an end to the conversation the group of players started hollering. Matt had Smash on the ground when he finally saw what was going on.

"Hey, Smash! Matt!" Coach yelled as he darted out of his office door. "I don't know what the hell y'all are bitching about out here, but it's done!" He lied. "Done!" He pulled them up by their jerseys and shoved them away from one another. "The hell's the matter with you, huh?"

"Coach, I was jus-"

"Save it, Bryan! You'll have plenty of time to think about it when you and Matt are doing extra up downs after practice this afternoon."

"C'mon, Coach."

He turned to Matt. "You can save it, too, Saracen. Would you rather I went and tattled to the principal about your little tussle? I sure don't think either of you would be playing Friday night, do you? No!" Coach looked around and the watchful eyes that were on him. "Now, c'mon, let's hit the field, ladies!"

* * *

When lunchtime finally rolled around, Julie jetted straight for the cafeteria to look for her best friend. When she got home last night, they talked before Tyra had to go to work. They were seeing each other this weekend, but Julie was trying to find her now. She wasn't ready to talk about it right after it happened but now, after sleeping on it, she was to tell someone about her and Tim.

Then, Julie remembered how destroyed Tyra was when her and Tim finally broke up last year. It wasn't pretty. It took sometime for her to pull herself together and that made Julie feel incredibly guilty. She knew that they had started seeing each other when she let herself intervene. It wasn't something she wanted to let come in between her and Tyra's friendship but it was going to be a sensitive subject.

She didn't really want to tell Sherry either, on the chance that she'd let it slip to her mother, who was definitely out of the question. Why did Sherry have such a big mouth? That was her cool aunts only downfall.

Kids poured into the lunch room but she couldn't find Tyra anywhere. She then started to look for Tim and smiled a little when she thought about seeing his face. Together they shared her most intimate moments as a woman last night. She was no longer a virgin.

It wasn't at all like what they show in the movies, with all the romance and passion when the virgin finally has sex. It was uncomfortable and it hurt, even though Tim had been delicate and patient with her as they did what they did. When it started to hurt less and feel better, Tim finished soon after. That was the reality of her first time. Afterward, she had to clean blood from herself and Tim had to change the sheets, but she didn't regret a thing. She felt closer to him more than ever.

The crowd had mostly dispersed and there was no sign of Tyra, but Tim finally emerged with a couple of his teammates. He saw her and parted with the guys.

"Hey, Jules!"

He walked over with a smile on his face, which caused her to blush and smile, too. "Hey." She hugged him back when he leaned in.

"Oh, uh, so, your dad kinda knows we're seeing each other now. People have been talking." He said then laughed awkwardly, as they stood outside the lunchroom.

"Should we just make it official?" Julie asked. There were already a few people looking at them and they weren't even inside the double doors yet. That wasn't enough, she wanted to shut everybody up. Yesterday at school, Louis, told her about the rumor that was going around about them. People just needed someone else to talk about to blind them from their own sad realities.

"You think we should? I mean, we pretty much cemented our relationship last night." Tim smiled and looked down at Julie's hand. He let her slip her fingers into his and they walked together into the lunch room.

A few heads turned and then a few more. Soon, most of the student body was glancing over in their direction. Tim looked over to where his fellow team members usually sat, they too were looking at the pair. Smash was laughing and shaking his head. He'd probably been the one doing most of the jaw flapping to the general population, that's just what Smash Williams did.

Julie's eyes caught a glimpse of Matt and Landry, who were sitting together in the far corner. When her eyes caught Matt's, he turned the other direction, but Landry kept staring with curious look on his face. "Geez, you'd think we we're famous by they way everybody's staring."

Tim laughed. It was true, people were looking and whispering, then looking back again. It was so high school that he couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever, let's just grab some grub."

* * *

Tyra felt like shit. She'd thrown up at work last night and had to be sent home early. School was out of the question when she woke up at five in the morning to vomit again. Hanging around the house with nothing to do all day was making her restless and now, time seemed to be passing at a snails pace. There was still a few hours until school would let out for the day, so she couldn't even call Landry. Her mom was gone and Mindy was still sleeping. She was pretty much completely alone. It wasn't a comforting feeling after what's been happening the last few weeks.

She was finally able to talk to Julie yesterday before work, after what seemed like a lifetime for them. She tried to bring up the Tim subject but Julie shot her down, so Tyra left it alone for the time being. They planned to go to the game together then spend the night together since she was off. Hopefully she'd be feeling better by then.

She heard her notification tone go off and walked over to her phone on the kitchen counter. It was from Landry. Something was attached to the text he sent and she clicked on it. Tyra froze and felt her body become numb. She was going to be sick all over again. He sent her a photo he'd taken of Tim and Julie in the cafeteria, holding hands. What the hell was going on? Tim was sleeping with her one day and dating her best friend the next, so to speak. What did she have to do to wake up Tim from his alternate reality and bring him back to the real world? Julie wasn't the answer to any of his problems. Was she? Was anybody?

Her stomach suddenly felt uneasy and she darted into the restroom. She hadn't eaten anything all day but she managed to vomit like she did. What was wrong with her? Had she eaten something bad at work last night? Her and a few of the other waitresses snacked on some appetizers the cooks made for them, but it wasn't anything she hadn't had before. She got off the floor and brushed the bad taste out of her mouth.

Could she be in a more messed up situation then the one she was currently in? Probably not. Her best friend was in love with her man. Her man was in love with her best friend. That wasn't exactly a winning situation for Tyra. She cuddled up in her bed and let herself cry a little. She was kicking herself for letting Tim back in, after doing so well without him. Did she really think anything would be different with him this time around?

_"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." _Tyra thought of that quote since it fit so well. He fooled her many more times then twice but it wasn't just so easy to let him go, no matter how much she wished she could. He meant a great deal to her, as a friend and more, but so did Julie.

Julie complicated the situation. Tyra used to have a little posse of bitches that would follow her around last year, but they weren't real friends. She wasn't real herself when she was hanging out with them. Besides, Tim and Landry now, Julie was the only other person she'd let through her walls she'd spent years building up. She was not looking forward to confronting her friend, but she might just have to.

* * *

"Aw, man. There's Riggins'." Smash pointed to him as he rounded the corner to his locker.

"Hey, Riggins, how was it, man? Ten out of ten?" Tyronn Baxter laughed with his fellow players, whose lockers were on the same block as Tim's.

A few of his teammates were laughing and heckling him about being sweet on Coach's daughter. He remembered doing the same thing when Matt finally got the guts to ask Julie out last year. Things were different being on the other side of the teasing and taunting. "Shut up, Bax." Tim called back in a sarcastic tone. He didn't need another Matt and Smash scenario to play out.

"Nah, man, you have to tell us. How was Coach's daughter? Everybody knows you're hittin' that."

Tim slammed the door to his locker in frustration. "Just drop it! Is that too much to ask for? Do you want a repeat of this morning?"

Baxter laughed. "It won't go down quite the same way, if you know what I mean." He high-fived one of his friends before turning back to his locker.

Tim slipped off his snug black tee. He threw it on the floor before advancing toward Baxter. "What? You wanna find out?"

"Hey!" Smash called, interrupting the guys from a tense altercation. "Damn, Riggs, causing drama all day today, huh? C'mon, guys, we gotta game tomorrow night."

"Says Mr. Williams who caused a fight this morning. Could you be anymore hypercritical?" Tim called out Smash in front of everybody in a similar way to how Matt did earlier. True, him and Julie purposefully made a scene at lunch, but that was their decision to make. "Why don't you mind your business this time, Williams?"

Smash rolled his eyes. "I liked you better when you were always drunk. That's when you knew how to keep your mouth shut."

Tim was fuming, on the edge of boiling over but he had to control himself. Another fight for Smash today and he would definitely not be playing in tomorrows game. The team needed Smash, that was just the reality of things with the way Coach Taylor built the offence.

"Walk away, Williams." Tim turned his back on him and went back to his locker. The guy he was last year would have acted without thinking and probably been a little wasted. Somehow, who he was back then seemed like another person entirely. He wasn't trying to justify himself and say he was a better person now, just different.

"Yeah, whatever." Smash said, shaking his head after getting dismissed.

* * *

Julie called Tyra to see why she wasn't in school today. When she found out Tyra was sick, Julie offered to go out there and keep her company, but Tyra declined. She was just going to rest and watch television. If she felt better tomorrow, they would still go through with their plans. Tim dropped her off at the apartment and left with Jordan right after.

"Hey, so, do you know where they were going?" Julie asked, curious as to why the guys left in such a hurry. Tim told her it wasn't a drug deal and that they were just going to get Jordan's car but she didn't believe him. He didn't even get out of his truck when he dropped her off. She went up and told Jordan that Tim was here and they were gone.

"No. C'mon, I'm gonna break up some weed. You down to smoke?"

Julie noticed how quickly Brianna answered her question. "Yeah, that sounds good." She went quiet for a few moments as her friend ground up some pot. "I know, you know."

Brianna sighed. "Look, Jules, you really don't wanna know where they went. Jordan said it was just something Tim really had to do and he had to be there, too."

At this point in their relationship, she wondered what he was hiding from her now. Julie figured she would find out soon enough, so she left it alone. When the bowl was passed to her, Julie hit it and let the smoke fill her lungs. She remembered the first time she'd came over here and smoked. It felt much more natural now, then from when she'd started. Sort of how lying was playing out in her life. She'd started out nervous, now lies could pour from her mouth without hesitation.

"You love him, don't you?" Brianna asked, when Julie passed the pipe back.

Julie didn't have to think about the answer but she didn't respond right away. Instead, she thought about her relationship with Matt. He'd been a great friend and seemed to really love her, but he didn't make her feel the way she was feeling for Tim. He'd brought out her sense of desire. She wanted him, craved him. She knew she'd never felt like that with anybody else, not even The Swede. "Yeah." She smiled. "I do."

"He talks about you, ya know. Him and Jordan are sometimes up really early together and they'll talk. I don't hear them, but Jordan tells me what they talk about." Brianna took her hit then continued with smoke in her lungs. "He's not at all how I thought he'd be." She let out her hit with a gush of smoke.

That was true for her, too. She knew Tim Riggins, the careless sophomore from last year, but now he seemed to care more then he didn't. "I know what you mean. I can't explain it, he's just... different."

* * *

Tim stared down at the cold, metal gun that was sitting on top of a wrinkled paper sack in his lap. After dropping off Julie at the apartment, he took Jordan to pick up his car. It was finally done getting the windows and headlights replaced. There was still damage to the body, but now that it was street legal, everything else could wait.

After they got the car, he followed his friend out to I-35, the main highway he'd used before to get to Austin. There was a gas station in the middle of nowhere and they met a guy Jordan knew for the gun. It cost him a pretty penny since it was a 10mm Semi-Automatic Pistol and he also bought a cleaning kit for it. The money didn't matter, he had enough to manage the expense. He was just glad that he now had protection with a complementary box of ammo.

Jordan had to split after the deal with his guy, so now Tim was sitting in the parking lot of his apartment. He wasn't quite ready to go inside and be forced to explain himself just yet. His thoughts kept going back to the same thing each time he looked at it. Could he really shoot someone? Even if they were threatening him, it was a scary position to be in. Beating someone up was different then possibly killing them. Life would never be the same, regardless of the outcome.

He took a deep breath and wrapped the gun back up in the bag it came in. The guys who'd sold it to them were professionals. The vin numbers had been scratched off and they tampered with the barrel so it wouldn't be traceable. It was some serious shit. There was one of his button down shirts stuffed behind the seat and he wrapped the bag up in that. He got out and walked up the stairs to the apartment. Brianna and Julie were sitting on the couch watching something on TV.

"Hey, where's Jordan?" Brianna asked when she noticed he came back alone.

Tim closed the door. "I think he was going to meet up with Joe. He's got this new guy he's doing business with and stuff." He shuffled over to where they were sitting and squeezed in next to Julie so that she was in the middle. "How you doing, babe?"

"Good. Uh, can we go to your room for a minuet?" Julie asked, the suspense was killing her. She needed to know what he had been up to.

"Yeah." Tim sighed as he got right back up after sitting down. "What's up?" He asked, after they were alone.

"Where were you?" She eyed him suspiciously as he shifted his weight back and forth between feet. He was still wearing his black shirt, but in his hand he had another shirt that was balled up. "What's that?"

"Alright. Lower your voice, please." Tim looked toward the door as he spoke. "I got some protection."

"Like condoms?" Julie said, then chuckled.

Tim laughed, too. "What? No, I've got those." His face then turned serious. He unraveled the shirt to reveal a brown paper bag. "Don't freak out, okay?"

Julie nodded without taking her eyes off what was in his hand. "What's in there, Tim?"

The box of ammo came out first, then the small kit for cleaning. He tossed them onto the bed before letting the gun slide out next to them.

"Tim!" Julie stared in awe at the tiny black gun. "What the hell do you need that for?" She moved next to him.

"Protection. For both of us." Tim grabbed her hand. "That... guy, he freaked me out. I'll be ready if anything happens again."

"You're gonna kill him?" Julie whispered in disbelief.

"No, that's crazy. I probably won't even load it. I could just threaten him with it if he tries anything, and that might be enough." Tim dropped her hand and picked up the gun. It was heavier then it looked. He aimed it at his pillows and looked down the sight. "Yeah, I don't think I could shoot somebody for real."

Julie moved cautiously closer to him. "That's nice. Maybe, you should just put it up for now." She didn't like the idea of him having to use a gun. "Let's go back out there and hang out, baby."

Tim stuffed the gun under the pillow and turned to his girlfriend. "I like the way that sounds." He smiled and took her in his arms. "Say it again."

"Say what, baby?" Julie smirked and let him kiss her. She was already turned on by him in a matter of seconds. "No, c'mon." She broke apart from his grasp and walked toward the door.

Tim shook his sinful thoughts and followed her out of the room. He wanted her body again, but he could control himself. He considered himself lucky to have the chance to be with Julie Taylor. She was going to do great things when she got out of this town, hopefully he'd be apart of whatever that was. Unsure of what his future held if he stayed in this little town, he needed to get serious about school, so he too could leave it behind.

* * *

**thanks for reading. chapter twelve soon. read&review :)**


	12. Lost Weekend

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter twelve**

**lost weekend**

Tim stared up at the night sky as he laid in the back of his truck alone. He was parked off next to what he thought was a corn field. The only thing he could hear besides the crickets chirping, was the sound of the weed burning every time he took a hit from his small hand-rolled joint. Normally, he'd be secluded out here with a pack of beer, getting so shitfaced that he'd pass out. There was something about the weed that got him on a good high without feeling like shit afterward.

He licked his lips as he thought how good an ice cold beer would taste on his lips, though. He hadn't had one in weeks and tonight was a night to celebrate. The team had won the game. They were back in full on mode and ready to make playoffs. Smash and Tyronn came up to him afterward and made peace for the time being. They were good.

Julie had plans with Tyra tonight so he was on his own. He didn't want to go home just yet either but he did want some beer. There was only one place in town that he could get it. A shady, little gas station right on the edge of East Dillon. Nobody who worked there knew who he was. He made up his mind and climbed into his truck.

* * *

"Whatever, shut up!" Tyra yelled as they were talking over a show on television. Gracie was in her crib back in the bedroom with Eric. It was a girl's night and he respected that, even on a game night. He must have been in a good mood since they won the game. It was the first game Tyra had actually got into. She'd been to games because Tim was playing, but it was mostly for socialization.

"I'm serious, Tyra." Julie laughed. "They're cousins or something. Look it up."

"Look what up?" Shelly asked, when she finally came out of her bedroom.

"Hey, I though you'd gone to bed." Tami said.

"I tried but I got bored."

Tyra and Julie laughed at the older women. She had a great sense of humor for a person of an older generation.

"Anyway, we were talking about Melissa and Jenny McCarthy. Tyra doesn't believe that they're related and I'm trying to tell her that they are."

"Yeah, they totally are." Sherry chirped.

"Are you joining us for our ladies' night?" Tyra asked.

"Oh, no, honey. You and Julie do your thing."

Things hadn't been as awkward as she thought they would be when she was making the plans on the phone with Julie. Though, they hadn't had a chance to even talk about the elephant in the room. Tim. She was holding out on doing that when everybody went to bed. Their show was just about over so it wouldn't be much longer.

"Alright, girls. Y'all enjoy the rest of your night. I'm off the hit the hay." Tami said after the show ended."That was the dumbest show ever." She patted them both on their blonde heads. "I'm so glad everything's okay with you two. I couldn't imagine y'all not being friends anymore." She said, then traipsed down the hall.

"Goodnight, guys." Sherry said, after grabbing a water bottle from the fridge.

"Night." The girls both called to Sherry and Tami.

"Hey, Tyra." Julie started after they were alone. "I just want to tell you that I'm sorry." She looked down, guilty. There was no sense in dragging it out.

"What exactly is going on with you and Tim?" She got straight to the point right along with Julie. "I mean, it just happened overnight or something." Tyra suddenly got that nauseous feeling in her belly again. "Have you slept with him?"

After thinking she was ready to have this conversation, Julie realized she wasn't. "I, um..." Her eyes were fixated on a string hanging from the seam of her jeans.

"Oh, Jules, you did, didn't you? You gave it up."

Julie's eyes darted toward the hallway that led to her parents bedroom. She definitely didn't want one of them to walk in on something they shouldn't again. "I did. I'm sorry, Tyra." She tried to find the words but was having trouble. "He's just..."

"Different." She finished her best friends sentence, knowing exactly where she was going with it. The situation was still a nightmare any way Tyra looked at it. She and Julie had feelings for the same guy. He seemed to be leaning more toward Julie after making their relationship real and exclusive. _Why didn't he do that with her? Was their fling just for the sex? What was so wrong with her that he didn't want to commit to her?_

"I'm an asshole. I knew y'all were messing around and I didn't stop myself from pursuing him." Julie shook her head in shame. She really hadn't been using her head when she got caught straddling Tim on the very couch they were sitting on. She swore off drinking after that night.

"I figured something was going to happen when I found out he was living with you. It just..." She paused momentarily. "It doesn't make it hurt any less, you know."

Julie didn't know. She'd never been heartbroken. "I'm so sorry."

Tyra felt like she was guilt tripping her friend, but she was hurt. Julie deserved to suffer a little for causing her pain. Best friends should know which lines not to cross but Julie was still young and lacked experience. By this point, she was like another sister so she'd be able to forgive the younger girl without their relationship deteriorating. Tyra, herself, might have devious plans but wouldn't let her know that. "It's okay, Julie. I talked to him the other day. He's really into you and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

Julie felt no better then Lyla Garrity at the moment. The girl who Tyra had claimed as her 'worst enemy' willingly let herself hook up with Tim, the day after they broke up. Not to mention she had a boyfriend that was injured in the hospital. Tyra never liked her before that and after, she loathed her. "Tyra..."

"I said, it's fine, Jules. We're cool, we can put it behind us. Me and Tim still need to figure things out... as friends." Tyra got queezy again and got up.

"Are you okay? You look like you're gon-"

Tyra bolted toward the small restroom. She didn't even have time to properly close the door.

Julie followed after her friend once she heard her throwing up. "Tyra, are you alright?" Julie peeked through the crack in the door before pushing it open.

"I don't know what's wrong with me? I felt fine all day."

Another heave came up. "I'm gonna go get my mom."

* * *

"Hey, thanks, man. I'll see you around." Tim said after successfully buying the beer he wanted.

"Thank you, sir."

He chuckled on his way to his truck, unaware that somebody was watching him again. Tim set the beer on the hood and went to grab the keys from his pocket.

"Well, well. What do we have here, boys?"

Tim froze as footsteps approached from behind him. _Fuck. _He knew he was fucked. He didn't have any kind of weapon to protect himself. He finally turned around with his keys gripped tightly in his fist.

"Well, hey there, Timmy boy. Fancy meeting you here."

Tim eyed them. They could probably tell he was afraid. Of course he was, they were grown men and he was a kid.

"I don't think we've been formally introduced. My name is Guy. These are my brothers." He pointed to the older, biker looking guys that were on each side of him.

"What do you want?"

"You see, we just happen to be in the same business as you and your hood-rat friend, Jordan."

"Yeah, so?"

Guy leaned up against Tim's truck, next to the beer. "Coach know about your bad habits?" He pointed toward the beer. "Oh, yeah, he probably does. You did live with him for awhile."

"Why are you fucking following me? What do you want?" Tim said, his fear was causing adrenaline to pump through his body. He would go down swinging if anything happened.

"Like I was saying, we distribute the same thing as you two small time kids. I don't personally, I deal with other things, but my brother here supplies weed quite a few big pushers in this area and now, he's losing clients because of y'all."

_Oh, shit._ "Joe?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, Joe. He's been dealing with us for a good two years now, then suddenly he finds a better deal with you. See, that doesn't work out in our favor, so somebody has to pay."

Tim tensed up, he knew something was coming. "And Jordan's car wasn't enough?"

"It was, when he was only talking to Joe about business, but now that they're doing business... I think we should send another message."

Tim felt all the air leave his body in an agonizing blow. One of the biker guys took him off guard and landed a punch to his stomach. His keys fell to the ground as he hunched over, leaning against his truck.

"Hit him again." Guy said, as he stood back and watched the other guy take a shot at Tim.

He was on the ground with that blow to his face. If he could just get up, he'd give one of those guys what they had coming. He scrambled around for his keys but couldn't see them anywhere.

"You want some more, huh?" One of the guys said, he had a grittier voice then Guy.

"Do you?" Guy then asked.

"No." He struggled to get back on his feet. His face was already throbbing. One of the guys must have been wearing a ring or something. Sure enough, both of them were.

Guy advanced slowly toward him and the other two backed off. "Give me all you got."

Tim slouched over in defeat. They couldn't just beat him up, he had to get robbed, too. He had quite a bit on him, since the plan was to buy a pound of the medicinal bud Jordan had. It was good. "It's in my bag." He slowly opened the door and grabbed his duffel bag, wishing he had the gun on him. If he did, he'd tell them all to get fucked and drive away. Then he grabbed every single bill and threw it on the ground in front of Guy. They were going to search until they found something worthy to take, so instead of taking anymore of a beating, he gave it up.

"Somebody's panties are in a twist." He said before bending over and grabbing the wad. Guy then flicked his wrist toward Tim and both guys pounced on him.

"C'mon, man! I just gave you everything I got." Tim called as they pushed him around.

Guy laughed. "You trust way too easily."

* * *

"What in the hell?" Eric said, as his phone was blaring in the middle of the night. "Who could be calling at this hour?"

Tami stirred in place, annoyed at who ever was waking them up. "Answer it. Gracie's asleep."

"Hello?" Moments later, Eric hung up the phone. "Honey, I gotta go. Tim's in the hospital. I'll be back." He stood from his spot on the bed and put on his sweatpants and hat before grabbing his keys and leaving.

When Eric finally found the room Tim was in, somebody was there to talk to him. "What happened?"

The young male nurse looked back at Tim's room before answering his question. "All he's saying is he fell, but that's clearly not the case. His injuries are showing blunt force... and he drove himself here."

"How bad is it?" He was concerned for the boy's well-being.

"We had to give him stitches right above his left eyebrow but other then that, it's just some scrapes and brusing. I'm so sorry we had to call you at this hour, sir. He's a minor and doesn't have a legal gaurdian. We had to call somebody."

"You didn't call Social Services, did you?" Eric was worried this situation could get Tim caught up with legal matters.

"Not yet. I'm advised to do so, unless..."

"Unless what?" Eric barked, he was in no mood for beating around the bush at this hour.

"Unless you claim that he's living with you. I know who this kid is, I don't want to see anything messed up happen to him in the system."

Eric shook his head in agreement. "Can I go in?"

"Sure."

He walked in and found Tim sitting on the side of the bed with his shirt off. His face was pretty banged up. "Damn, Tim. What the hell happened to you? Don't you feed me none of that bull you're spitting to the nurses. Tell me the truth."

"I got jumped. I was getting something at a gas station and three guys beat me down. Took all my cash and left me on the ground."

"What guys?"

He sighed. "I don't know, Coach."

"And you somehow managed to drive yourself here?"

"Yeah." He winced at the pain as he tried to sit up straighter. "My head was hurting pretty bad so I decided to get checked out."

"You had the right idea, son, but now the medics are talking about you being a minor with no legal guardian."

"Damn." Tim shook his head. Even he forgot that he was legally supposed to have an adult living with him. He could try to get emancipated but that would require parent signatures most likely, and that was something he wouldn't be able to get.

"One of the guys told me to say that you're staying at my house instead, then Social Services doesn't have to get involved. Where have you been living, anyway?" Tim didn't respond to anything he said. "C'mon, Tim. Talk to me."

Tim looked up. "I'd rather not say." He tried to stand up but the pain in his stomach was almost too much.

"Sit down, dammit. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Clearly he wasn't. "Now, tell me where you've been living."

Tim knew he wasn't getting out of this room without telling Eric about his situation. "This guy that was close to Billy."

"Well, that's vague but it's a start. Stay here, I'm gonna go see about getting you out of here."

Eric woke the next morning to an empty bed. Gracie wasn't in her crib either. He looked over at the clock and realized Tami had let him sleep in a little. She was cool like that. He smiled and got up to see what was going on.

Tyra had Gracie on the couch with her while Tami and Sherry were sitting at the bar, talking quietly and drinking coffee. "Hey, hun." Tami said.

"Hey, y'all. What's going on?"

"Just gabbing, you know." Tami replied.

"Where's Julie?" Tami looked at her husband and without words, she told him where their daughter was. She'd used her eyes to lead his toward the garage door. "Well, what the hell is she doing in there?" Eric walked through the kitchen and into the garage.

Tim was laying under the covers of the bed that was still in there, while Julie was above the sheets. She was cuddling up to him as they both looked to be asleep. He really took in the sight of them. Why was he so threatened to let a guy to be with his daughter? He knew he didn't want her to get hurt but that wasn't what was threatening him. No other man could protect her like he would, but there wasn't anything he could do to keep her heart from breaking. That was up to the choices the young couple would make.

Eric closed the door. It was hard for him to let them be, but Julie really seemed to care for the troubled boy. Then he wondered about the kind of trouble the kid was in and weather or not Julie was at all involved. He needed to know because if anything happened to her because of Tim, Eric knew he'd kill him.

* * *

Jordan picked up his phone and dialed Tim's number again. He'd hadn't seen or heard from the younger guy since yesterday morning. He was getting a little worried. He felt a tad responsible for getting him involved in the game without a heads up on the nastier side of things. The violent side of things. Before he called Tim again, he looked around his room and found the gun. So, where ever he was, he was unprotected.

He was getting frustrated now. The phone was on, but Tim was either ignoring him or hadn't been around it in quite sometime. It wasn't like Tim to be away from his phone, at least in the last few weeks. There was too much money to be made to miss calls for an entire day.

Jordan liked having the kid around. With no disrespect to Billy's memory, Tim was like a little brother to him now. He'd been watching out for him since they met, so he was a little worried to not hear from him for this long.

"Damnit." Jordan said to himself, after getting Tim's voicemail again. He needed to smoke something, it would chill him out. Brianna was at work, so he was sitting at home all alone. He'd almost forgotten how empty his place was before Tim and Julie came around. When the THC hit his brain he finally started to feel normal. He sunk into the couch and relaxed. Maybe Tim had been out with Julie, but where would they both stay if not here. Last time he checked, Tim was banned from going to her house. Jordan swallowed another hit and held it in. When he felt like he was spinning he finally let it out.

* * *

Julie left the garage and walked into the living room. "Hey." She said to Tyra, who looked like she'd just showered. She was wearing her jeans but was standing clad in her bra.

"Hey, girl."

She looked around to make sure her dad wasn't around to see.

"They left. Shelly's in the back, but your parents took Gracie and stuff." She was drying her hair with a towel while she spoke. "Is Tim okay?" She hadn't seen him but Tami informed her on the situation over morning coffee. It felt a little weird to be asking Julie on Tim's status, instead of knowing herself. Times have changed.

"He's pretty banged up, but yeah, he'll be fine." She looked at Tyra's toned stomach and wished that she'd put the rest of her clothes on. Tim would be out any minuet and it was going to be awkward for everybody if she wasn't dressed.

"Hey, babe, I gotta get to the apartment. Jordan's freaking ou-" Tim walked out into the kitchen and stopped when he saw Tyra standing in the middle of the living room in her bra. "Oh, hey, Tyra." He looked at her wet hair, her face and then down at her body.

"Oh my God, Tim! Are you okay?" Tyra rushed to his side when she saw the cut above his eyebrow and his busted lip. She brushed off the sting she felt when she heard him call Julie 'babe'. When she moved closer she could see all of the damage done to his face. He had minor bruising and his chin had been split open, but not bad enough to require stitches. "What happened?"

"Long story." He focused on her face instead of her body that was nearly touching his, then looked over at Julie. She didn't look too happy to see his ex-girlfriend draped all over him half naked. "I gotta go right now, but we should hang out later." Tim moved away from her and started looking for his keys.

"Yeah, you wanna?" She asked, before grabbing her shirt off the back of the couch.

"Yeah. You can come check out my new place and stuff."

Tyra slipped on her t-shirt. "Okay, just call me. I'm going home after this but I'm off tonight."

He smiled at her after finding his keys on the bar. "Alright. See you later."

Tim left the girls and drove himself home. He would thank Coach and Mrs. Taylor for their hospitality later. He owed Eric for helping him get out of the hospital without Social Services being called. They dodged a bullet.

"Damn, dawg. There you are." Jordan said when Tim walked in the door. "Oh, shit. What the fuck happened?" He was off the couch in a flash when he saw Tim's face.

"It's cool, man. I'm alright."

"No you're not, man. Who did this?"

"Guy." Tim saw his face change at the mention of Guy's name. "Yeah."

"Shit! I'm so tired of his shit, dude."

"Yeah, he jacked me for the cash I was gonna give to Manny for that bud."

Jordan sat back down on the couch. "You need any cash? What do you have left?"

Tim took a moment to think about how much cash he had stuffed in his shoe box. "Probably... three grand and some change. It's all good, though."

"I'll give you half of my shit. I bought a half pound, but it was just some personal."

"If you want, it's whatever." He walked to his room and closed the door. He was not in the mood to talk about the events that took place last night, he'd already had to do it with Coach last night and Julie this morning. He sat down and suddenly regretted telling Tyra they would talk about it later. She'd want to know everything but he wasn't sure that was for the best. As soon as he sat down, Jordan came knocking on the door. "Yeah?" He leaned back and stretched out his sore stomach and back. They were sore but he could move around better than yesterday.

Jordan opened the door. "Hey, man. I got a blunt ready. I think you could use a good smoke."

Tim felt bad if he'd come off as rude when he walked in. He gave Jordan a smile. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Come sit down."

* * *

Julie spent most of the day with Shelly after Tim and Tyra left. Apparently, her mom and Tyra were closer than she thought, because she called to say that her mom invited her back over tonight. Not that Julie didn't want to spend time with her best friend, she was just jealous.

When Tyra finally showed up, Tami was already in the kitchen cooking. She joined her in the kitchen instead of coming directly over to where she was, that bugged Julie a little.

"Are you okay, honey? You look a little pale?" Tami asked the tall blonde who was leaning up against the counter.

"Um, yeah. I-I... Can we talk privately?"

Julie was listening and what Tyra said really peaked her curiosity. What did she need to talk to her mom about in private.

"Sure, Tyra. Hey, Jules, can you come watch the meet for a few minuets?"

She drug herself off the couch and joined the pair in the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"Tyra needs to talk to Mrs. Taylor, the Guidance Counselor, for a moment. We'll be right back."

Tyra looked at her then shot her eyes quickly to the floor as she followed Tami out. Julie rolled her eyes and turned to the meat the was cooking on the stove. She was dying to know what they were going to talk about. She thought about peeking around the corner. Then she remembered she had no stealth, so she decided against it.

* * *

"Hey, I'm about to go meet that Caster kid. You wanna roll with me?" Tim asked as he joined Jordan in the living room.

"Yeah, I can do that." He got up and chuckled "We don't need you getting mugged again."

"Shut up." Tim laughed with him. "They want to meet over by the Alamo Freeze."

"They? Who's they?" Jordan asked.

"I don't know. Their in some garage band or something."

When they were getting close to the Alamo Freeze, Tim dialed the number to the guy that called him. "Hey, I'm here. Where you at?"

"In a station wagon on the side. Wait, yeah, I think I see you."

Tim saw a chubby looking blonde kid, waving out of the backseat window of the station wagon. He pulled up next to it and parked.

"Tim, is that you?"

He looked over and saw Landry Clarke sitting in the drivers seat. "Hey, Clarke." _Shit._ The last thing he needed was for the wrong people to find out what he did. Landry was definitely the wrong kind of people. He had Tyra's ear, so she'd more than likely find out what he was doing now. Not only that, he was the kid of a police officer.

"Are you-? What the fu-?" He muttered, awkwardly trying to figure out what to say. He really couldn't believe this was happening. Tim Riggins was selling weed. However, he was good friends with the ones that were buying it, Landry didn't partake in the activity of smoking. He saw somebody else in the passenger seat of Tim's car but it was too dark to tell who it was.

"Let's just do this. Got the money?" Tim said, impatiently.

"Yeah, hurry up, Caster. This is obviously a drug deal." Landry said in a dry tone to his friend Kurt Caster. Since the fight with Ramirez, Kurt picked up smoking weed and cigarettes. He also couldn't believe he didn't tell him that they were waiting to meet Tim. That was something someone would usually tell someone else.

They guys made the exchange and Tim pulled out of the parking lot in a hurry.

"Well, that was awkward." He said to Jordan when they got further down the road.

He looked over at Tim. "Who was that guy?"

"Some kid I go to school with." Tim swallowed hard, knowing he was going to keep some of the truth from Jordan. "He's friends with my ex, so, yeah. That reminds me, I need to call her."

* * *

After her parents went to bed, Julie snuck into the backyard with her stash. The sky was lit up with stars as she sat down at the patio table. She broke up a small nug and stuffed it into the bowl of her pipe. She closed her eyes as she engulfed the smoke into her lungs. Julie watched the smoke from her mouth, drift up into the light breeze and disappear. Crickets were chirping louder then usual.

Tyra had to go for some reason after they all had dinner. Julie felt bad for feeling relieved after she was gone.

Her mom had been acting odd after her little talk with Tyra. She wouldn't budge when Julie tried pressing the subject either. Tonight had been subtly dramatic and now she needed to smoke it off. She took another hit and chilled out for a few minuets.

"Julie? What are you doing out here, baby?"

She quickly tucked her pipe and lighter into her bra with her bag of weed. "Uh, hey, Shelly?"

"Damn, girl. Did a skunk die out here?" She was joking of course, Shelly was familiar with the smell of marijuana. "What do you think you're doing, little missy?" Her voice was firm.

Julie sighed. She knew she was toast. "Just relaxing a little."

"Look, honey." Sherry put her hand out. "Hand it over. I'm cool with your relationship with Tim, but this... I have to tell your mom about this one."

Julie stood from the lounge chair she was sitting in. "What? Why?"

"She would murder me in my sleep if she found out I was keeping this from her. I've done some questionable things in the past and Tami knows it, but this is you doing drugs. I-I can't, give it to me, Jules."

She gave her aunt a look that was a mix of betrayal and hatred, before grabbing what she had stuffed in her bra and handing it over. "This is bullshit." Before Shelly had a chance to react to her disrespect, Julie darted around her and went inside.

Shelly rolled her eyes and followed after her.

* * *

"It'll be okay, Tim. I mean, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but she doesn't have to know." Tyra said. "Nothing happened."

They hung out last night at his place and ended up sharing his bed. They just slept. There wasn't any sex for once, but he felt guilty anyway. He felt like it was something Julie should know and Tyra didn't. Why not? They were all close friends, but who was he to say anything when he blew off Tyra to start seeing Julie. Literally.

"How pissed would you be, Tyra?" He asked, knowing how many times he betrayed her.

Tyra hopped off the bed and stood facing him. She made a face like she was thinking but she really wasn't. She couldn't count on her fingers the number of times he fucked other girls. She wanted to laugh at how pitiful he looked sitting on the edge of the bed, brooding. She watched him stare at his hands for a few moments. He was definitely a different person now that Julie was in his life.

He looked up at her. Their eyes were locked onto each other and Tyra saw a chance she couldn't miss out on. Tim was hers and she wanted desperately to show him that. She pushed him back on the bed and kissed his lips hard. When he didn't resist her, she found herself becoming aroused.

Tim broke away from her mouth and took a breath. His lip hurt but the pain didn't seem to matter. "Tyra..." Her lips found their way to his neck and suddenly he couldn't make himself say anything. His mind however was spinning with questions. _What was wrong with him? Why was he letting himself do this with her? Was he still the same guy that didn't give a shit about anybody else?_ He felt guilty just moments ago but it was like a switch flipped and it didn't matter anymore.

Their lips crashed together again and Tim grabbed a handful of Tyra's hair. He rolled her over onto her back and pushed his body into hers. She moaned while their bodies were grinding together.

Tim suddenly got flashes of the night he made love to Julie. He squeezed his eyes together and stopped his movements with Tyra. The images of Julie's face as she trustingly let him be her first burned his retinas. He opened his eyes and looked down at Tyra. She wasn't Julie. "I can't do this."

"Tim." She said after he rolled off of her, then she sat up and grabbed his arm.

"Don't." It was hard for him to do what he just did. Pulling himself out of a heat of the moment embrace with his beautiful ex-girlfriend. It was something any guy would find incredibly difficult to do. "Please."

"I don't get it." She stood up and grabbed her own hair tightly in her fingers. She took a breath and let go of her short strands. "What happened to us? Weren't we about to get back together?"

Tim thought about what she was saying. They started hooking up again a few weeks ago but nothing ever went further then that. Nothing was ever established between them and then Julie came along. "I don't know, Tyra, but..." His words would hurt the pretty girl but she needed to hear them out loud. So did he. "I love her."

Tears filled Tyra's eyes after he said those three words. He wasn't one to ever say things like that. She could probably count on one hand the number of times he'd said them to her.

"I'm sorry, Tyra." He knew she was in love with him, she told him she had been since they were kids. "I-I don't know what else to say."

"Nothing. Don't say anything." She began to gather her things and got ready to leave.

* * *

Eric paced back and fourth in front of Julie, who was sitting on the couch. In his hand he was holding the small bag of weed that Shelly had taken from her last night. "Just what in the hell are you doing with this, Julie?" She just sat there in a silent rage, staring blankly ahead. "Drugs? Drugs!" Eric exclaimed.

"Honey, calm down." Tami interjected before Eric got too heated. This was a huge deal but with her high school experience and some students she was currently counseling, Tami counted her lucky stars that it was just pot. Kids at Julie's school could get their hands on just about anything illegal.

He took a breath. "Look at me." He said in a much calmer voice.

Julie looked over at him. She didn't take too well to being yelled at and her mother knew that.

Eric tried another approach after she was paying attention to him. He knelt down on the floor and looked her in the eye at her level. "What's going on, baby? What's got you thinking you need to use this stuff?"

She looked down at the baggie in his grasp and thought about why exactly she was using the substance. _Was it just because she had access to it? Did she have some deep, depressed emotions she was numbing? Probably._ "I don't know, dad." She groaned, just wanting this conversation to be over.

Her relationship with Shelly would never be the same after this. It didn't matter if she was being selfish or not, Julie was pissed at her. She didn't even have the balls to watch her get reprimanded after tattling.

He got off the floor. "Well, where the hell did you even get it?"

"Was it Tyra?" Tami asked, thinking it would makes sense because she was over this weekend. Tyra's sister was a stripper and could probably get whatever someone would want. She watched as her daughter was contemplating in her head.

Julie knew she couldn't truthfully answer either question. What was she going to say?

* * *

**yay that was a long one lol. thanks for reading. next ch soon.**

**input welcome. r&r.**


	13. L'Chaim

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter thirteen****  
**

**l'chaim**

Nearly two weeks had gone by since Julie got busted with the pot. She had been on strict lock down and she still had a few more days to go. She'd only been able to see Tim at school. If it was killing her as bad as it was to see him, she couldn't imagine what he felt like. She'd been stuck in her bedroom, literally twiddling her thumbs. There was nothing to do. Music was playing softly in the background but even that was a bore.

She'd been ignoring and avoiding Shelly all week long, which surprisingly wasn't that hard considering she was confined to her bedroom. Shelly was usually a really cool person. She kept quiet about her and Tim. Just as the thought of Shelly came up, she barged into the room.

"Hey, do you have any tampons in here?" She looked on the dresser and bedside table.

Julie was annoyed that Shelly took it upon herself to rummage through her things without even tossing a glance her way. She just walked in and started looking around. "Rude much? No, I don't have any in here." Julie paused for a few moments. She hadn't needed them in what seemed like a long time for her rather regular period. She tried to make a mental note of the last time she bled for a week. It was last month. She got this uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Julie brushed it off, there's no way anything could have happened from her and Tim being together. They were safe and cautious.

"Damn, there's none anywhere. You okay, girl?" Shelly asked, after seeing a strange look on Julie's face. She knew the girl was upset with her, but it wasn't that kind of look.

Julie looked up at Shelly and waved her hand at the older woman. "Can you just go, please?"

"Geez, you sure are a bitter one these days." Shelly said before she headed for the door.

"Well, what did you expect would happen after running your mouth. I told you to be cool... and you just never know when to shut your mouth, so just go." Julie turned her back on her aunt and listened as she left her alone. Now, maybe her homework would take her mind off of everything.

* * *

"You can't be serious, dude." Tim started. "I don't think this is the solution. It's just gonna make things worse."

He was in the passenger seat of Jordan's car, parked in the dark down the street from Guy's house. They were close enough to see that his place was lit up.

"Worse than taking another ass beating?" Jordan gave him a look that was a mix of seriousness and amusement.

Tim remembered the night at the gas station. "Yeah, well, what do you think is going to happen after we rob them back? Or do whatever the fuck we're trying to do." Tim couldn't believe they were doing something like this. There had been no sign of Guy or his goons in almost two weeks. "Maybe we're good. We haven't heard or seen them in awhile now." Tim didn't even believe his own words. As long as they were still dealing, they weren't in the clear.

"I thought that after that time at the party, but he showed up not too long after we partnered up. Remember?"

"Well, the shit with Joe is why all that happened." Tim paused, another encounter with Guy is not what he wanted. "And why are you suddenly having this idea now?"

"I donno. Maybe they won't know it was us."

Tim chuckled. _Did he really believe that?_ "Yeah, right. He's gonna know and he's gonna fucking kill us, Jordan." He had no reservations that Guy could or would kill somebody that crossed him. He was psychotic. "We need to get the hell out of here before we get caught." He looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was coming. "This is so shady. One of them could just drive by, man. We don't know they're all in there."

"Man, we're fine. Chill out." Jordan rolled his eyes.

"Fool, they know your car."

"Damn, I didn't even think about that." Jordan sat up straight and started the car. What _was _he thinking bringing them out there like they were going to do something? Guy was probably crazier then either of them could even imagine.

"Try laying off the kush." Tim said, then laughed at his friend.

"Shut up."

* * *

_Was this really happening?_ She'd been trying to convince herself that it wasn't since she found out, but it was true. How was she going to deal with being pregnant? What was she supposed to do? Tyra was sitting in her bedroom with Mindy.

"Damn, Tyra." Mindy said as she was rubbing her younger sisters head, which was on a pillow in her lap. "What the hell were y'all thinking?"

Tyra squeezed her eyes together and cried. "I donno. We weren't." She'd slept with Tim countless times. Protected. Unprotected. Nothing like this had ever happened, but it did this time. Tyra didn't just think she was pregnant, she knew she was. The doctor had confirmed it for her earlier. The doctor told her that she was about six weeks along and gave her information about her options.

Tyra had spoken to Tami Taylor privately about the matter awhile ago and she was the one who encouraged making a doctors appointment. That was clearly the first step to finding out. Now she needed to talk to the older woman again, about her options and emotional support. Her mother had been there with her at the doctors office, but was now off drowning herself in her two favorite vices. Booze and men. Their relationship wasn't what it used to be and now she found herself confiding in Mrs. Taylor more than her own mother.

"No shit! I'm sorry. I know I'm not helping the situation, sis, but... what the hell are you gonna do?"

It wasn't like she forgot Tim was involved in her situation, but among her grieving she had forgotten that she would eventually have to tell him. Tears filled her eyes to the brim again. Why did she have to be so stupid? "He's gonna kill me." She whispered.

"Fuck him! He did this to you. Well, you basically did it to each other, so now y'all have to deal." Mindy felt bad for her. The poor girl was pregnant in high school and there wasn't anything she could do to make it go away.

Tyra sat up and gave Mindy a look. "I know. Okay, I know I fucked up and have to deal with it. I've been freaking out all day... about everything." There was a baby inside of her and she didn't know what to do about it. _Keep it? Give it up? Kill it?_ The later of the three made her wince. She almost couldn't fathom the idea of doing that. Though, could she raise the child? That was a more serious question that she couldn't answer. She needed to talk to Tim. That was going to be easier said then done.

"It's gonna be okay, Tyra. Calm down. You've got me and mom on your side no matter what happens, okay?" Mindy gave her a small smile. She knew her baby sister was scared out of her mind but she would try her best to help the situation.

She knew Mindy was just trying to help but she couldn't listen to her go on and on about how 'everything will be okay'. Everything wasn't going to be okay. They were going to be different from here on out no matter what decision was made. Everything was about to change.

* * *

"Julie, honey?" Tami said through her bedroom door later on that evening. "We're gonna be leaving here shortly. Could you watch your sister for me? You can be ungrounded before the weekend if you do."

Her mothers offer was definitely appealing even though it was only Wednesday, but them leaving also meant she could make some plans of her own. "Okay, I'll do it." She got up and opened the door. "Where are you guys going?"

Tami followed after Julie into the living room where Eric was. "Your father forgot to mention that he told Buddy Garrity that we'd go out to dinner with him tonight."

"I did not forget. I just... wanted to surprise you." Eric joked. They both know he'd forgotten.

"Yeah. Big surprise." Tami joked back, lovingly.

"Well, thanks, kiddo. We'll be back around eleven. Behave yourself, please." He said to Julie, before heading down the hall.

"Bye. Have fun." Julie mocked them as they walked out the front door. Once she was sure they were gone she called Tim from the house phone.

"Hey, Jules." He answered.

"Hey, baby. My parents asked me to babysit for a few hours. Wanna come over?" She needed to see him.

"Hell yeah. I'll be over soon."

Julie could picture him smiling as he spoke on the other end of the line. She couldn't wait to get her hands on him. "Hurry up." She had a slight urge to say that she loved him before hanging up but didn't at the last moment. It was still early in their relationship to say serious things like that, even though they both knew how they felt.

It didn't take him as long as she thought it would for him to get there. There was this nervous and excited feeling boiling in her belly when he walked in the front door.

"Julie?" He called before he reached the kitchen and saw her. A smile stretched across his face causing her to do the same. "Hey." It felt like he hadn't seen her in a long time, even though they hung out together during lunch.

Julie ran over to him and gave him a tight hug. "I missed you."

"Me, too." He smiled when she didn't let go after a normal length of time for a hug passed.

She looked up at him and kissed his mouth.

"Where's Gracie?" He asked, breathing heavier than normal.

"She's sleeping in her crib." She said before kissing him again. Tim took a step froward causing her to move backward, toward her room. Julie knew where this was leading and helped speed up the process, by taking his hand. She led him down the hallway and smirked when she saw that Shelly's light was already off. She was thankful her aunt retired to her bedroom rather early. The door swung closed and they plopped down on her bed together.

Tim was on top of her in a matter of seconds. His hands found the warm skin that was underneath her clothes. He pushed her shirt up above her bra and kissed her chest before making his way to her stomach.

Julie helped him take her sweatpants off before he undid his own. He kissed her thigh and made a trail of them that led down to her warm center. She was taken by surprise at how good his mouth felt on her. Her fingers grabbed long strands of his messy brown hair and squeezed.

Tim felt himself stiffening inside his pants as Julie got more and more aroused. He touched himself a little as he gave Julie pleasure. She was wet and ready for him in just a few minuets. When he got up and took the rest of his clothes off, Julie followed his lead. She threw her bra and shirt on the floor and pulled the blanket over herself. Tim grabbed a condom from his jeans and tore into the packaging. He slid it onto himself and climbed into bed with his girlfriend.

Any thoughts Julie had before seemed to slip her mind. They used a condom last time and they were using one this time. There was no way what she was thinking could be true. Everything was perfect as he made love to her and she let her thoughts fade away.

* * *

"Honey, be quiet." Tami whispered loudly as Eric fumbled with the jingling keys to the house. They were drunk.

They had a small dinner with Buddy at his new apartment. Afterward, they sat around for awhile drinking and talking. They didn't stay as long as they thought but by the time they left, Eric was contemplating calling a cab. He decided against it in the end.

"Well, I can't get it in the damn hole." He said, still fumbling around.

"That's what she said." Tami busted out into laughter after her own joke.

Eric chuckled and dropped the keys on the ground. "Oh, thanks, baby." He bent down and grabbed them. When he finally got the front door open, he let Tami walk in first. He loosened his tie as he walked into the kitchen. The blinding florescent light hurt his eyes when he flipped the switch.

Tami headed down the hallway and pushed open Julie's door. She nearly gasped at the sight before her. Julie was in her bed, but she wasn't alone. The shirtless body of Tim was laying there with her in his arms. It was obvious of the events that just took place in this room and that brought a disturbing feeling to her stomach. After taking it all in, Tami silently closed the door and joined her husband in the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Eric noticed the look on his wife's face. He was drunk, but not drunk enough to not know something was wrong.

She was torn. He was going to freak out, hell, she was freaking out herself. Julie was no longer a virgin and that stung her deeply. Her daughter had been acting out a lot lately, smoking pot and now, having sex. The later of those would be a hard swallow for her husband.

Eric looked down toward where Julie's room was and then back at his wife. "What's going on? Is it Julie?" He moved around her but she grabbed him.

"No, don't!" Tami was on the brink of tears now.

Eric shook loose from her grasp and barged into his daughter's bedroom. "What the hell?" He exclaimed.

* * *

"This a joke, right? Tell me it's a joke." Landry looked back and fourth between the Collette sisters. "Like, this isn't really happening... is it?"

Tyra once again had tears in her eyes. She'd gone to the doctor. It was true. "I wish I was joking, Landry. You don't know how much I wish I could take this back... but I can't"

Landry shook his head and ran his fingers over his short buzzed hair. She lied to him about Tim. She hadn't quite told him that that's who the father in fact was, but Landry wasn't stupid. The only person she'd been with, to his knowledge, was Tim. "Why didn't you tell me about you and Riggins? I asked you... to your face, Tyra." He hated to see her crying, but he feeling quite betrayed at the moment.

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you. You always get like this when Tim comes up. I don't have any excuses for what happened. All I can say is that Tim's always been apart of my life, Landry. Even before you." She felt bad that she'd hurt his feelings again. That's all she seemed to be doing with him lately. "I'm sorry... that's just how its been."

He sat down on her sofa. He found himself speechless. The girl he wanted was knocked up by someone else. He knew Tyra didn't have feelings for him but it all hurt the same. After a few minuets of agonizing silence, Landry had it. "So... what? Are you just gonna have his kid? 'Cause if you do, your gonna have some pathetic, drug-dealing, loser as your baby's daddy."

Tyra and Mindy both looked at each other in confusion. As far as they know, Billy was the only Riggins' that had ever dealt drugs. The idea of Tim doing such a thing was almost funny to the Collette girls.

"What are you talking about, Landry?" Tyra asked him, skeptically.

"You really don't know?" He wondered how she didn't know about Tim's extra curricular activities. "He's been selling weed."

"Well..." Tyra looked at her sister again. "That's interesting, but... when I went to his place, I thought I did kinda smell weed. Tim's a drunk, so I didn't think anything of it."

"Guess again, he's probably been getting high as of lately."

"And just how do you know all of this, Landry?" Tyra snapped. "Huh? Were you there with your junkie friends?" She was tired of listening to him bitch about Tim. There were bigger problems going on and he wasn't respecting that.

"I, um, no. C-Caster told me."

"Sure, whatever." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Landry. I'm just... scared." She gave him a sad look. "I don't know what the hell to do, do you?"

He had no idea and it wasn't even his problem to deal with. He felt bad for his friend. She was in a horrible situation for a girl her age to be in. This isn't how either of them saw her life going. "No, I-I don't." He tried to imagine Tyra's house as it was, but with a little kid running around. A little Riggins kid. It didn't make sense. "Have you told him yet?"

Tyra just shook her head.

* * *

"I'm just trying to understand what in the hell you were thinking?" Tami was the one to raise her voice at their daughter this time around. The weed didn't measure up as far as sex did on her scale of what Julie was doing. "This is not okay."

Eric stood silently in the background from where Tami was questioning Julie. He was still trying to process the thought of his daughter doing such a thing. It was the last thing he wanted to imagine.

Julie was sitting on the couch in what felt like deja vu. Once again she wasn't saying a word until everybody took it down a notch. Tim had left quite quickly after her father walked in on them. Her parents didn't say a word to him. He just locked eyes with her father before bolting out of the house. She wondered how things between them would be after all this.

"Okay, fine. Can you just answer one question for me?" Tami sat down next to Julie. They looked at each other for a few moments before she spoke again. "Why... Tim?" It was hard enough for them to deal with the relationship she had with the Riggins boy, but now she was having sex with him. It was a nightmare.

Eric felt his face twitch at the mention of his name. He felt like Tim did the ultimate betrayal for sleeping with his daughter. He was hurt and disappointed by both the teenagers. They shouldn't even be having sex in the first place.

"You wouldn't even believe me if I told you." Julie said, vaguely.

"Well, what's that mean?" Eric finally chimed in.

Julie shook her head and felt guilty in different ways. For one, she obviously just got caught with Tim. She also knew that what she was about to tell them, they wouldn't take seriously. "I... I love him."

Eric stared at his young daughter in disbelief. He wanted to laugh. He, too, had been a teenager in high school once, who thought he knew what love was. Love took patience and understanding, teenagers didn't have a very good track record of those things. What did these two kids know? "Well, that's just great. Do you think it'll last forever? Do you?" He stared at his young daughter. "That's just great." He repeated and shook his head. The look Julie had in her eyes told him more then he'd been asking for.

"And you both wonder why I can't talk to you. Nothing I say is good enough, so why don't you just tell me what you'd like to hear?"

"You can drop the tone, sweetie." Tami started. "There are consequences to having sex, especially so young."

Julie rolled her eyes. She dropped her shoulders in defeat. This conversation was pointless.

Tami nearly shuddered when she recalled her conversation with Tyra, when she's stayed over. She wasn't sure about bringing that up, but a relative topic was present with her own daughter. "STD's... the possibility of pregnancy."

"Mom, you don't have to worry about anything, okay? We're being safe."

Eric took a moment to process what she had just said. "What are you saying? Tonight... that wasn't your... first time?" This talk would win Most Awkward Conversation of the Year for sure. "Is that what you're saying?"

Julie pursed her lips tightly together before speaking. "Yeah." She swallowed. "That's what I'm saying."

Tami closed her eyes. "Oh, baby."

She looked over at her mother. "Mom... I-I'm sorry." She started feeling guilty again when her mother seemed unable to even look at her. "I don't know what to else to say. It happened, it's over. So, whatever sex talk y'all are about to give... it's a little late." She stood up and walked to her room.

Eric and Tami stared at each other in silence. A knock at their front door disturbed them from the drama. Tami finally stood from the couch and answered it.

"Tyra?" The poor girl was clearly on the verge of crying on the doorstep.

She just stood there and nodded, confirming the unasked question.

"Oh, honey." Tami stood there silently for a few moment. "Come in, please."

Tyra did as she said and joined her in the small sitting room right inside. "I''m sorry. It's late, I know, I-I just don't know what to do."

Tami felt bad for her. "Well... you know your options, right?"

"Yeah, I do. None of them sound easy."

"Oh, girl, I'll can tell you having a child is hard. Especially when you're unprepared for it." They sat in comfortable silence for a few minuets. Eric had poked his head around the corner and without Tyra noticing, Tami let him know they needed a moment. They worked well like that. "The only advice I can give you..." Tami continued when Tyra made eye contact. "You need to tell him and talk about it with him. You two need to decide what's best for your lives."

No matter how much she dreaded doing exactly what Tami told her, she had to. He needed to know and they had a decision to make.

* * *

**this one took awhile. wasn't sure what i wanted to happen so i kept changing things up.**

**appreciate**** the feedback. keeps this going. :)**


	14. Lassoed

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter fourteen**

**lassoed**

Tim closed the door to his place slowly when he finally got home. He'd downed a six pack at the stadium after leaving the Taylor's house. He leaned against the door and let out a breath as the events of the night raced through his mind. A small smile crept onto his face as thoughts of Julie came into play. She made him feel something he had never felt before and he would do anything to keep that feeling from going away. In the middle of the thoughts of Julie, Coach Taylor popped up. He now knew that Riggins had deflowered his little girl. He was worried that Coach would be angry with him and take it out on him at practice, like he did when he discovered that he was dating Julie. Tim took a deep breath and released all the worry in another sigh. He'd deal with anything to make things right with Coach. It wasn't going to be easy, or even possible right now, but he knew he had to try.

"Tim?" Jordan asked. "Just making sure that was you. You alright?" He flipped on the kitchen light and watched Tim just stand there at the door.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He paused for a moments. "Got anything to drink?" Tim joined him in the kitchen.

"Now you're talkin'." Jordan cheesed the whole time we got the bottle and opened it. "Here's some Tequila to numb those troubles of yours."

The familiar burning sensation he felt as the shot moved down into his stomach felt good, but reminded him of times spent with his brother. They drank almost everyday together, mostly beer but Billy had a weakness for Tequila every so often.

"What are you thinking about right now?"

Tim smiled. "Billy. We used to shoot this shit back in the day. Usually after he lost a job or something bad happened."

Jordan remembered some of the times he shared with Billy. They had some good times even though drugs were the main reason behind their friendship. For Jordan, drugs had always been in the picture. His father sold crack on the streets of Austin to support him and his mother when he was just a kid. After his father was murdered over the drugs he was selling, Jordan's mother packed him up and left for quieter life.

"Pour me another, would ya?" Tim said, as he slid the glass to him.

Jordan poured the drink and continued thinking about the past. In school, he fell in with kids that were just like him, which was how he found a connection for weed. Billy and Jordan met senior year, Billy was struggling with an unpaid debt and Jordan sold to him in the past. They hashed out some terms and started doing business. "I miss him... so much sometimes."

"Me, too." Tim said, before slamming down his second shot.

* * *

Tami was sitting alone in her living room as the sun slowly crept up. She'd been there for a few hours already and had no plans on moving. Why bother, she couldn't sleep. Not since Tyra stopped by last night. She was almost as concerned for the tall blonde as she would be for her own daughter. She started to recall the conversation from last night with her.

_Poor Julie._ She thought about her own kin for a moment. Her low-life boyfriend had gotten his ex-girlfriend pregnant. Tyra had stayed for awhile last night. They talked more in depth about what options were on the table and they cried together. She had a rough night of tossing and turning after Tyra had left and she tried to go to bed. Eric passed out so easily because he'd still been intoxicated. After what happened last night, she sobered up quick.

Her mind had just turned back to Julie having sex when she heard somebody join her in the dim living room.

"Tami?" Shelly mumbled when she came out of her bedroom.

Tears threatened to fill her eyes as she spoke. "Hey... Shelly."

"Everything okay?" She moved closer to Tami to get a better look at her. "Tam?"

Her sister was unaware of what happened just hours ago. "Yeah... um, I'm fine."

Shelly rolled her eyes and joined her big sister on the couch. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

When Shelly took her hand she let out the tears she'd been holding back. "Julie... she-she's not a... virgin." Tami knew Shelly would understand what a big deal that was to her.

"Tim?" That was all Shelly could get out because she was in shock herself.

"Yeah. God... why him? That's not even the whole story of what happened last night." Tami chuckled with tears in her eyes. "He got his ex pregnant." The shared a look. "Yeah... but neither Tim or Julie know. Tyra came to me last night, because she suspected it a few weeks ago. Anyway, she made an appointment at my encouraging... and turns out she is carrying his kid."

Shelly's jaw literally dropped. She felt disturbed when a thought of Julie being pregnant flashed into her mind. "Oh, Lord. What are you gonna do?"

Tami shook her head from side to side. "I don't know that it's my place to do anything."

Shelly adjusted her position to face more toward Tami. "You mean... you're not going to do anything about Tim getting Tyra pregnant?"

"What?"

Both ladies looked back to see Julie standing in the hallway behind them. They looked at each other and panicked.

* * *

Tim woke to someone banging on his front door. He just realized that he'd passed out on the couch instead of his bed. He stayed up, with Jordan, talking and drinking for over two hours. They talked about anything and everything. He could still taste the lingering breath of liquor and the banging wasn't helping his headache either.

"Yeah?" He said out of habit. When he lived at Billy's his front door was always open. After certain events recently, he wouldn't be so careless anymore. He stood up and rubbed his eyes on the way to the front door. "What the hell?" He said when it was Landry's face he saw on the other side. "Uhh, what's up?" He stood there awkwardly with the door half closed still.

Landry glared at Tim. He knew Tyra would never forgive him for what he was about to do, but he had to. He pushed open the door to Tim's apartment and walked inside.

"Yo, what the hell are you doing here?" He didn't have a clue. The last person he'd thought he'd see in his living room was this kid.

"What, worried I have my dad following me?" Landry shook his head. "No, it's not that simple. God, I wish it was."

Tim finally shut the door and joined Landry where he was standing. "What are you talking about, Clarke?"

He hesitated, knowing he'd have to answer to Tyra about this sooner or later. "I'm talking about... Tyra." Her name was harder to get out then he thought possible. How would he get the rest out without choking?

Tim raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What about her? Did something happen?"

Landry scoffed. He felt his face heat up with anger. "Yeah... you got her pregnant. That's what happened."

He froze at the words that were just spoken. "Pregnant?" Tim whispered, barley audible to even himself. He was in shock.

"Yeah, pregnant." Landry watched Tim's expression go from bad to worse. If he had gotten a female pregnant at this age, he had no idea what he would do. He started to feel bad for the guy he despised most in this small town. Landry took a breath before going on. "Look... I-I know I shouldn't be the one telling you this... but... she's scared."

Tim nodded, he was scared too. His entire body felt numb but he could feel the adrenaline kicking in due to the sudden shock he received. His eyes were wide behind the strands of hair that hung down in his face. "Shit." He uncomfortably shifted his weight. "Wh-Where is she?" He needed to talk to Tyra immediately.

Landry shrugged. "Probably getting ready for school." He'd been up extra early himself so he would have time to make this pit stop.

"Alright, I gotta get ready." He looked at Landry and stuck out his hand. "Thanks for telling me, man."

He looked down at Tim's hand. It took him a moment but he took it and shook his hand before leaving. No matter how much he disliked Tim Riggins, he felt like he had to be respectful after laying a load like that on him.

The ride to school for Tim had been dreadful. He had no idea what he was going to say to Tyra when he found her, but he had to think of something. _Why did this have to happen to him? Was he being selfish thinking about himself, first and foremost? _He knew he probably should have been thinking about Tyra and what she was going through, but he was distracted by the bigger picture. The one that involved him. A sinking feeling filled his stomach as he thought about Julie. She'd eventually have to find out and that was going to be a hard conversation to have.

Tim couldn't find Tyra until lunchtime finally rolled around. He spotted her entering the cafeteria, her blonde head stood taller then then the other girls surrounding her. A gnawing feeling crept into his stomach again and it froze him in his steps. He was actually scared to talk to her. Students kept walking by like he wasn't even there. He felt like he was in a dream and that this wasn't even real. Tim shook his head. He wasn't going to let his brain manipulate his thoughts. It was real. It was happening.

He walked through the doors and took another moment to look for her. She was standing in line for food with Landry. Obviously, Tyra didn't yet know that he'd spilled her news. It would get found out soon enough. The last thing he needed to be thinking about was taking Landry down a peg in Tyra's eyes. He had his own issue with Tyra and it took the cake. Landry was the one to see him standing there first. Tim watched as he muttered something to himself before nudging Tyra. When her eyes locked with his, he felt his own betray him. Tears filled his eyes as they stared at each other from across the room.

Tyra stepped out of line and walked over to him. "Tim?" She knew he knew, what else would make him this emotional. He stayed silent, instead he grabbed her by the arm and they left the cafeteria.

* * *

Eric sat in his office after school, typing away on the computer. He wasn't in the mood to think about what his brain kept wanting to think about, so he decided to answer some emails to distract himself. It was hardly working to begin with but he kept at it. The players had already started practice with the assistant coaches but there had been no sign of Tim. That's what his brain was wracking on and on about. He knew he didn't want to see the boy, but he couldn't just not show up to practice on the verge of the playoffs.

That's when he saw him enter the locker room. He looked like a zombie from afar, walking slowly toward his locker. As much as he didn't want to deal with him, he needed to be the Coach right now and focus on his player.

"Tim, get in here!" He called from behind his desk.

Tim froze for a moment then dropped his bag on the bench. He walked over to Coach Taylor's office in the daze he'd been in since lunch. He already knew to close the door before being asked.

"Why are you late? Tell me you're not drunk." The kid was moving like a slug but he wasn't stumbling like when he'd been hungover in the past.

"No." _Not yet. _He was still facing toward the door, dreading to see the look in Eric's eye. He betrayed him last night, but he didn't know how he'd take in the new information.

"Tim? What's going on?"

He finally turned around and joined Coach at his desk. He sat on the edge of the seat and shook his leg nervously. "Look, I'm sorry about last night but this isn't about... that."

Eric was still pissed off at him for sleeping with Julie, but right now something else was concerning him. "What is it about then? C'mon, spit it out, Rigg-." Eric stopped when Tim broke down right in front of him. "Tim?"

Tim gathered himself after a few moments. It was hitting him hard now. They went out to the parking lot during lunch and had an emotional conversation about it. "Tyra... she's pregnant."

So that's what Tyra had been talking to Tami about last night. She wouldn't say what Tyra came over for but it had to be important. Indeed, it was. _Shit!_ He had no idea what to say, things were getting crazier everyday. He wanted to hate the kid but at the same time he felt bad and wanted to comfort him. "I-I'm, um..." He wracked his brain for something to tell the poor kid. "I'm sorry."_  
_

He shook his head. "It's okay." It wasn't and both of them knew it. An unexpected accident that wasn't meant to happen, that's what it was.

Eric was still in shock. The guy that was now sleeping with his daughter, knocked another girl up. Nothing felt simple anymore. The days before high school when Julie was naive and innocent, those were the days he wished he could have back as a father. If he could go back, he'd try to put a stop to whatever it was that led Julie to her recent decisions.

"It's not okay, Tim." Eric leaned forward in his chair. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now... but you'll figure it out." He did. His little family wasn't planned either but they were in college, not high school. These kids had so much life ahead of them to have it halted by something like this. "You can call it a day right now, okay? Go home and get your head on straight."

"Yes, sir."

Tim sat outside in his truck for what felt like hours. He watched practice run through as he thought about Tyra and the big changes the situation was bringing. They weren't able to talk long enough at lunch to fully understand their options much less make a decision about it. He knew exactly what he wanted her to do. It was awful, but they could go back to being normal high school kids if she just dealt with it.

He shook his head at himself. He knew what was going on, but for a girl, this kind of situation was even more scary and confusing. Guys didn't have to deal with the fact that a life was growing inside of them and their decision meant life or death for the helpless fetus. Tim thought deep for a moment. Even if Tyra had an abortion, he wondered if they both would walk through their lives wondering about the child that could have been.

Tim shook his head again, this time to shake the thoughts in his head. These weren't the kind of thoughts a kid his age should be dealing with. He's supposed to be worried about the team and making playoffs, instead he was worrying about becoming a father or not. The sun was nearly touching the treeline when he finally left school. He picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number. "Hey. I need to come by." He paused. "Okay, be right there."

* * *

Julie was in the garage with the door closed. She could still easily hear her parents fighting since her dad got home this evening. It wasn't like they were dealing with an unexpected pregnancy again but they sure were fighting hardcore about Tyra's.

She'd been out in the living room with her mother when he came home. At first, he asked to speak to her in private and they went into their room. It didn't stay contained in there very long. Soon after, her mother stormed out and her father was quick on her tail, hollering about her keeping information from him that involved one of his players. Then she replied to him in a sharp tone something about student confidentially. That was the point Julie decided to let them have some space.

It really didn't feel like anything had changed, but then again everything felt strange, almost dreamlike. She hadn't spoken to Tim or Tyra all day, and the two people she was closest to in the world now felt sort of like strangers. She wanted desperately to call either one of them, Tim more probably, and talk about what was going on, but they didn't know that she knew. She didn't even know if Tim knew yet, but her entire family did.

Julie felt like she didn't know a lot of things all of a sudden. Like, _what was going to happen now? With the three of them? Was Tyra keeping the baby? Was she not?_ She blinked hard at the thought of abortion, it didn't sit right with her but she was pro-choice. She carried on thinking about other things she was unsure of. _Would her relationship with Tim still be intact or would this come between them?_

None of the questions she asked herself could be answered without talking to them first. She assumed that was the next step and dreaded it. First, she was going to let things play out until she was sure everyone involved knew the situation. What she needed to be doing was playing coy and acting like she knew nothing was going on.

She grabbed her phone and called Tim.

* * *

Tim continuously felt his phone going off in his shirt pocket but he refused to answer it. He purposefully got himself drunk and didn't want his girlfriend to know. He needed to deal with this his way first.

He sat in a room with the blinds closed. Light was slightly seeping through the cracks between the blinds in Manny's apartment. Jordan was with Brianna and another girl in the kitchen making drinks, while he sat with Manny on the couch. The only light on was coming from the ones that hung over the bar, they were dimmed but bright enough to still see.

Manuel 'Manny' Vasquez was a tall, thin Mexican with tattoos scattered on his arms. Jordan told him that Manny had a connection with some seriously organized drug trade. Though he was lanky, he looked like he could survive in prison.

"Hey, man. Try this." Manny held out what seemed to be an ordinary glass bong to Tim.

Tim took the contraption and quickly realized that it was something completely different. There wasn't a bowl stuffed full of green bud, there was glass dome covering a small, circular metal rig. "The hell is this?"

"Oh, man. You haven't been dabbing yet?" Manny sat up straight to help Tim take his hit.

"Uh, what is 'dabbing'?" Tim felt like a weed virgin all over again. He was confused as to what Manny was talking about.

"Okay, so, like, you break down whatever bud you wanna use, right?" He looked at Tim for a response to make sure he was following along. "Then you shove it in a turkey baster. Where the lid of the turkey baster was you tie filter paper around it, tightly with rubber bands. Then you blast straight up butane through the weed and into a glass pan with water in it."

"Yeah, I don't know what you're saying, man. Get to it." Tim laughed.

"Yeah, it's a crazy junkie-like way of making this shit. Anyway, you turn the weed into gooey wax and you smoke it with this kind of piece." He took the glass dome off the bong and grabbed the torch he had set on the coffee table next to the mound of wax. "I made this shit last night. It's just... like, smoking a way more concentrated amount of THC. It's... amazing."

Tim smiled and shook his head. He was still just getting used to smoking regular pot, which lately he'd slowed down on that and started drinking again. "Whatever you say." He chuckled and watched as Manuel used a poker to gather a little ball of gold wax.

Manny sparked the torch lighter and lit the metal bowl until it turned bright red. "Alright, get ready."

Tim leaned into the bong he was holding and put his mouth on it. "Ready." He watched as Manny took the torch off the rig. It was still glowing brightly as he touched the wax to the hot surfaces of the bowl. He turned the poker around to make sure all the wax would get burned off the tip. Tim inhaled. The smoke felt thinner then regular smoke did and it had a completely different taste. It took only seconds for him to feel the intense wave of heat rush over his entire body.

Manny chuckled. He could tell by the look on Tim's face that it had hit him good. "Yeah, man. Welcome to Dab City."

Tim had was just felt like a mini trip. The tiny amount of what Manny let him have, hit him like lightning. There was nothing else like it. "Whoa." He closed his eyes as he came back down to Earth. He looked down at the bong after opening his eyes again and smiled. "That's crazy."

"Hey, man. Let me hit that wax." Jordan walked over from the kitchen clearly wasted. "Here, guys." He handed two cups to the guys on the couch and took the bong from Manny. He'd been buying from Manuel for as long as he could remember so he had a certain comfort to do things himself. He took a glob of wax and ripped it.

Tim drank from his cup. Just as he set it down, his phone went off again. He decided to answer it this time but it wasn't Julie. It was Tyra. He stepped out on the back patio and slid the glass door behind him.

"Hey, what's up?"

* * *

Tyra awoke in her bed. She knew she'd fallen asleep on the couch because she was up waiting for Tim to come over. She hopped out of her bed and walked into the living room to find him on the couch.

"Get up." She nudged his back. "When did you get here?" She sat down next to him when he got up and tucked her loose bangs behind her ears.

"It was pretty late. That's why I crashed here."

"And you just carried me to my room?"

He tried to smile, but his headache was pounding away at his temple and it was hard to even keep his eyes open. Last night was an over-indulgence and he knew it now. "Yeah... I did." He cleared his throat, nervously. "I know... Tyra."

She felt her eyes widen and the short hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "How?

"You're boy, Landry."

"Tim..." She couldn't even get the words out before the tears came. She clutched her stomach tightly.

Tim scooted closer to her and put a hand on her back. "Hey, hey. C'mon, Tyra." He had no idea what to say. Luckily, he'd never been in this situation before but it didn't matter anymore, he was in it now. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know." She broke down and cried in his arms. "How did this happen?"

He let her tuck her head under his chin as she cried. "Uh, the regular way." Tim tried to smile but still couldn't as he tried to break the tension with a joke.

She pulled away from him. "I wish this was funny, Tim, but it isn't. This is serious. We have a life... other than ours to think about." It still wasn't real that she was carrying a baby in her stomach.

"I know, I'm sorry." He paused for a few moments. "What do _you _want to do?" He asked, wanting to know what was going through her head.

Tyra shook her head. She had no clue. _Could she raise a baby in high school? Could she give the baby up? Could she kill it?_ "I-I don't think I can..." She couldn't even get the words out.

"Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. I'm so sorry, Tyra." Tears filled his eyes and she was quick to coddle him, like he did her. They sat like that for awhile, holding each other in silence. "Your mom's gonna kill me, huh?" He said after finally letting go of her.

"I don't think that's your biggest concern right now."

He knew exactly what she was talking about. Julie.

* * *

**thanks for the read. more to come. goodness its getting all tangled up and messy. love it.**

**:) read & review.**


	15. Libra Scale

**disclaimer: i own nothing.**

* * *

**chapter fifteen**

**libra scale**

Tim was in the midst of a crisis. He got home from school and went straight to his room, not wanting to talk about anything with anybody. When he got there safe, he locked the door behind him and laid down on his bed. He wanted something to wash away his sorrows but regardless, getting fucked up wasn't going to make this go away. He finally had a real talk with Tyra early this morning but they had yet to make a decision about the pregnancy. It wasn't just that easy.

His selfish mind knew what it wanted her to do, but when his conscious mind took into consideration the life he created with her, he was conflicted. He had all the rights in the world to say what he wanted, but in the end it was her choice. If she wanted to keep it, he'd be there. If she didn't, he'd still be there. He was scared, yes, but the realization of being anything like his own father scared him more then having a child.

The thought of his own pathetic parents both scared and comforted him. He was comforted by the thought of properly raising a kid, unlike they did twice over, but at the same time he was scared he'd fail and become exactly like them. What did he not fail at? Football. Next to the air in his lungs and the girl by his side, that was the most important thing in his world. Maybe this incident with Tyra was a way to expand his world, his family. He really didn't have a family to start with.

A unintentional smile touched his face. Thoughts of a little blonde kid running around on a grassy green hillside ran through his head. Images of himself and then Tyra also crossed his mind. If she had this baby, they'd forever be connected, no matter what. The images in his head slowly disappeared when the sinking feeling returned to the pit of his stomach. He sighed, clearly stressed.

The rest of the week had gone by in a blur and he still hadn't talked to Julie about Tyra. The pair decided during their talk to avoid telling Julie for the time being. He definitely agreed. _What exactly was he supposed to say? Oh, hey, baby. Yeah, you know, I knocked up my ex-girlfriend._ That was a negative.

He hadn't even told Jordan yet. After realizing, again, that he had no family to talk to about the crazy situation he was caught in, he thought about telling his friend. If Billy were still around, he would have gone to his brother. His thoughts lingered on what Billy's reaction would have been. Tim knew he would have freaked out. There was no way they could have supported a child with the income their household was making.

Tim thought about the money he had now. He was thankful and grateful to Jordan for helping him out from the beginning. He sure as hell didn't have to. Tim knew he owed Jordan the opportunity to interact with his life in a non-drug dealer way for once. He needed someone to lean on right now anyway, he was going to go crazy if he kept this all bottled up.

He turned onto his back and closed his eyes. There was a tiny light blinking in the corner of his mind. It was politely reminding him that he needed to talk to Julie and get everything out in the open. Tim wanted that to go away but it wasn't going to until he did it.

"Fuck it." He picked up and called her. Of course, her being grounded for all of their bad decisions lately meant she didn't have a phone. He had to go to her house and talk face to face.

When he pulled up to the Taylor's house, he let out a sigh of relief when he didn't see Eric's car in the drive. Now more then ever he was trying to skirt around his own Coach. It was awkward to say the least.

Tim knocked on the front door and took a step back when it was Tami who answered. "Hey, Mrs. Taylor. Um..." He looked down at his feet and shifted his weight before returning his attention to her. "I know what you must think of me..." He paused. "If there's any way I could talk to Julie, even right in front of you..." He stopped mid-sentence. She had a stern look in her eyes, maybe this trip was pointless and he should wait until Monday to talk to her. "Never mind."

When he turned to leave Tami realized that she had been looking down her nose at him. "Tim, wait. I'm sorry." She stepped down and joined him on the sidewalk.

He turned around with his sights on the ground again.

"Look at me." She hesitated when he did. "You're right... I'm sorry." She nearly chuckled. "I find it hard to look at you after what happened the other night. I-It was a shock and, frankly, I'm not over it."

Tim squeezed his eyes together in regret. Then he immediately regretted regretting his time with Julie. For all he knew, that could have been the last time they'd ever be that intimate. So much had happened since then. "I'm so... sorry."

"I appreciate that. Now, as for Julie... there's something you should know."

* * *

Eric slammed his car door shut when he got home. Tim's truck was sitting on the street in front of their house. He wasn't allowed over anymore. Sure, they had a heart to heart when the kid told him about his problem, but it didn't matter to him in the end. The same thing wasn't going to happen to his daughter. _Over my dead body._ He thought.

He pushed open the front door and found everybody in the living room. His eyes went straight to Tim who was sitting in his chair.

Tim stood up when Coach walked in. "Hey... Coach." He had to get back on Eric's good side. That was way easier said then done.

Eric didn't acknowledge his greeting. Instead, he looked over to his youngest daughter, who was in her playpen and gave her a playful hello.

Julie and Tami were sitting together on the sofa together facing toward where Tim was.

"Uh, hi... honey." Tami stood up and walked up to her husband. She gave him a hug and whispered in his ear. "Don't be mad... I made up with him."

He pulled away and looked at his wife in the eye. Eric watched as she shook her head, knowing he was upset with her. His gaze then turned toward the two teenagers. "What are you doing here, Riggins? I mean, did you just think you were welcome here?"

"Eric, pl-" Tami started, before her husband spoke over her.

"Huh? Answer me." He said, not giving Tami a chance to speak.

"No, sir. I didn't assume anything, but I had to talk to Julie." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets nervously. "Like, I _had _to... and as it turns out, everybody already knew what I was coming over to say."

Eric's eyes darted from Tim's in a momentary guilt trip but they shot right back. "Well, here's what I'd like to know." He paused, crossing his arms as he stood across the room from his player. "Now, that Tyra's pregnant... what's gonna happen with you two?"

The room went quiet. Gracie's playful noises was the only thing anyone heard, which happened to be a little ironic.

He looked at Tim. Tim looked at Julie, then back at him.

Tim spoke up after the ringing in his ears got to him. It was time to plant his feet and stand his ground. "I'm not going anywhere, sir. I love your daughter... I can't help it."

The guys stared each other down. Eric wasn't at all please with another guy trying to be a part of his family. It had just been him and his girls up until this point, he didn't want to see that change just yet.

"Dad..." Julie moved next to Tim and put her arm around his waist. "Tim's a part of my life... a big part." She looked up at her boyfriend. When their eyes met she gathered the courage to tell him what she'd been wanting to for awhile now. "I love you, Timothy Riggins. No matter what."

Tim smiled widely at Julie before kissing her right there, in front of her parents.

Eric looked over at Tami who was looking at the young couple in awe. He shook his head at her when their eyes caught before turning back around to the kids. In a deep, harsh tone Eric spoke to Tim. "If you... dare ruin Julie's life... I'll kill you." He left and slammed the door to his bedroom.

* * *

Julie silently thanked the Lord when she got her period. She'd been haunted the last week or so about her time of the month being late. With one dilemma, came another. She was sitting in a bathroom stall at school with no tampons. She cleaned herself up and put a little toilet paper between her legs just until she could make it to the nurses office and back.

She got up and flushed the toilet after zipping her jeans up. The halls were deserted since she left in the middle of class to see if what she was feeling was happening. Since it was, she was going to be late getting back to class.

The nurses door stood open. Julie was just about to go in when Tyra walked out of one of the classes down the hall. The girls caught eyes and Julie quickly darted into the office. She didn't want to talk to Tyra just yet. Tyra could read her like an open book. She was going to find out that Julie already knew about her being pregnant.

"Hi, Mrs. Garcia. Could I talk to you in private for a second?" Julie said, as she closed the door behind her. She was hoping that Tyra was going to the bathroom or anywhere but where she was.

"Oh, hello, Julie. What can I help you with, sweetie?"

Julie squeezed her eyes tightly when she heard the door open behind her.

"Hello, Tyra. I'll be right with you." The nurse turned back to Julie.

So much for that thought. She was a little embarrassed to ask for what she needed but hell, they were all women after all. "Do you have some tampons? I-I just started and I don't have anything."

"Ah, yes." She turned around and went over to her supply cabinets.

Julie turned around to Tyra, who was still standing by the door. "Hey... Tyra. What's up?"

Tyra looked at her best friend with sad eyes. She knew that Julie knew. "I know you know, so let's just get it out of the way. Okay? I... I don't know what this will do to our friendship, Jules... but I hope it doesn't ruin it."

She stared back at her bestie. "It won't. Y'all happend before me and him. I-I mean it's a little weird and complicated but we can get through this... together." They made it through the whole 'love triangle' thing. Though, this was in a whole other league of complicated, she wasn't going to shut out her best friend after accepting it with Tim. "I promise."

"Here we are." Mrs. Garcia found a few tampons in her mess of pads and gave them to Julie.

"Thank you." Julie said her goodbye to Tyra and made plans to get together soon before she darted back toward the restrooms. She felt like she was going to pass out. Tyra was going to have this baby, she could feel it.

* * *

Landry was sitting with friends at lunch that week when Matt came over and sat down next to him. It was the first time they had been at the same lunch table in almost a year. He had his own new life with his fellow players now and Landry had Tyra, in a way, so he wasn't completely without.

"Well, what do I owe this visit?" Landry said in a half dry tone.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Landry. I need to talk to you." He looked around to make sure nobody was paying them any mind at the moment. "So... there's this rumor going around."

Landry's attention was peaked at Matt's intro. He was also slightly worried that news about Tyra had already gotten out.

"It's pretty crazy. I just wanted to know if you knew anything about it... like, maybe Tyra knows how it started or something."

"Why-Why would Tyra know about this so-called rumor." Landry stammered.

Again, Matt looked around before speaking like he was paranoid. "Everybody's saying that one of the girls' here is pregnant."

He froze and felt goosebumps make the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He tried to look surprised. "Ty-Tyra's not... pregnant." _Lie. _He felt bad for lying to his best friend but he already told Tim and that was his limit of gossiping.

"Chill out, Landry, it's not about Tyra. It's about Julie."

Landry blinked couple times in a row before fully realizing what Matt just said. "Wh-... So, people are saying that Julie's knocked up?" He watched his friend nod. "That's crazy. Tyra hasn't said anything... Do you think I should ask her?" He was playing coy.

"I don't know, that's not my business. I just can't believe that there's a rumor like that about... her."

"C'mon, man. You've got to get over her. She's with Riggins', there's not much that can be done about that... especially now."

"No. God, I wish everybody would quit thinking that I'm still into her and jealous of Tim. At first, yeah, maybe a little but she's just a friend and her dad's my freaking Coach." Matt took a breath. Truth was that he was a little jealous of Julie's relationship with Riggins. It seemed completely different from what he shared with her, which was a lot. She got to see him and his lifestyle in full within the year they dated. Maybe that's what made her end things between them, he'd never really know. "I don't think Coach knows... but maybe he does, he's been pretty hard on Tim lately."

"I'll look into it and see what I can dig up." Landry said, now trying to get his friend off the subject. "How's cheerleading going?"

Matt smiled. He missed his friends sense of humor. The guys on the team were so dumb compared to Landry's wit. "Football's fine, Landry. Actually, our last game of regular season is Friday, so, yeah... that's exciting."

Landry chuckled at how easy it was to switch up the conversation. "Cool, so... State?"

* * *

Practice was a good way for Tim to let off all the steam that he'd been building up since Tyra's news came out. He'd just gotten dressed in his regular clothes after taking a hot shower. Nobody was in the locker room when he got out. Coach had really picked on him hard and when he tried to say something, he got to run up the bleachers an extra half hour after everybody else got to leave. One thing was for sure, he'd forgotten what a good feeling adrenaline gives the body when exercising. It was like a drug of its own.

He had a few delivery's to make before he could head home for the night so he picked up his phone to contact the customers that needed quantity. Before meeting up with anybody he had to stop by the apartment and get what he needed.

"Hey, Jay... you wanna roll with?" Tim said, when he walked into his apartment to find Jordan there. "Damn, it smells good in here."

"Here, dawg. Take this and I'll go grab my shoes real quick." He got off the couch and handed his newly sparked blunt over.

Tim took it and brought it to his lips. Before he took a hit from it, he gave some serious consideration to not do it. He wanted to quit. _Why couldn't he ever be sober? _He puffed on the end and forgot why he had reservations. He walked blunt-in-hand to his bedroom and grabbed what he needed.

"Hey. You ready?" Jordan said as he passed by Tim's door.

"Yeah, be right there." His duffle bag was laid out on the bed. He looked down at what was in there. Tennis shoes, a fat bag of pot, a gun and some clothes on top to fill out the bag more. He zipped it up and left with Jordan.

On the road, he kept wanting to tell Jordan what was going on but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Are you okay?" Jordan finally asked. "You either need to take a dump or you're thinking really hard about something. I can't tell which, so I'm asking."

Tim drove down the road a little more before speaking up. "I, uh... my ex is pregnant."

Jordan sat up straight in his seat and looked over at the young guy next to him. "That other blonde girl?"

He nodded.

"Damn..."

The car went silent for what seemed like forever. They made a few stops and made their exchanges before heading off toward the next meet spot.

Jordan spoke up after meeting their next customer. "That happened to me and Bri once."

Tim looked over at his friend, surprised. "For real?"

"Yeah... we were barley twenty-one and as I'm sure you can see, we didn't keep it."

"Why not?" Tim was curious to his friend's experience even if they weren't in high school. An unexpected pregnancy was exactly that, unexpected.

"She wasn't ready. I _know_ I wasn't ready, shit, I still ain't." He paused, sympathizing for Tim. "But, I'm sorry, man. It's a tough spot to be in, I know. What does she want to do?"

He still wasn't sure exactly what she wanted because she had yet to say anything. "I don't know. I mean, we talked last week but... it's a lot to process."

"I feel that. Us, guys, know exactly what we want to happen, but since it's not our body, it's not up to us in the end. Chicks just have babies sometimes, even without their baby's daddy around."

"So... if Bri would have wanted to have it, what would you have done?"

Jordan reminisced on his life and the person he was when he was that age. He was a drug slinging party boy. "I don't know because that's not the way it happened. I'd like to say I would have been there, 'cause I sure as hell would be nowadays. We cashed in our one get-out-of-jail-free card... but, yeah, I don't really know."

Tim stared out at the town that was his home since birth. He was still terrified of having a child, but he could never just leave Tyra alone with this. The baby was half his after all and the young parents-to-be had known each other their whole lives, from what they could remember.

"What I do know, though... is that you're nothing like me or how I was. Even at your age, man, so you'll be alright."

"Thanks, bro." Another quiet moment passed and they took in what Tim called Jordan. It felt normal slipping off his tongue, but when it hit his ears it was suddenly weird. He brushed it off and made himself focus on the money he was chasing.

* * *

"Because I'm not ready to be a grandmother! My God, Tyra... do you really think you're ready to be a mother?" Angela stared down at her daughter as she paced back and fourth through their living room.

"Mom!" Mindy called from the kitchen. "You are not helping!"

Tyra was sitting down on the edge of the couch. Her elbows were leaning on her knees as she held her head. Her mom was flipping out because she'd just told her and her sister that she was really thinking about keeping the baby.

Mindy joined them in the living room. "This isn't about you, mother. Like, for once... can't you see that?"

Angela stopped pacing and looked at her eldest daughter.

"If Tyra wants to have this kid... she damn well should." Mindy gave a small smile to the thought of being an auntie before she continued. "If she says she's ready, she's ready."

They both looked over at the youngest Collette. Angela sat down next to her daughter and took both Tyra's hands into her own. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm scared, too, I guess." She looked at her daughter. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Again, Tyra weighed her choices on the Libra scale before answering her mother. "I'd like to just say that I am, but yeah, I'm freaking scared." She let go of her mother's hands and touched her belly. "It's just..."

"What?" Mindy said, the only one still standing up.

"It's half me and half... Tim."

Angela scoffed. "So, is this some way you're trying to get him back?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." She'd accepted the fact that he was happy with someone else. Ever since he told her that he was in love with Julie, she found a lot of heartache and a little closure. With the pregnancy, though, she didn't know what was going to happen to the happy couple. This definetly would complicate things for them.

"Then what, Tyra? Do you think Tim is ready for this?" She shook her head and looked away, knowing what Tim's parents did to him and Billy. It was so messed up. Who had children to abandon them, Tim was just twelve when his dad left him with Billy. His mother had been gone years before that. "You don't think he's just gonna bolt?"

Tyra sighed. This game of twenty-one questions was getting old. "I don't know, mom. No, I don't think he'll bolt, we have too much history for that. We did talk a little but nothing serious. He doesn't even know I've made a decision yet."

"So, you _have_ decided?"

She nodded slowly, thinking about what she'd just said. She knew she couldn't have an abortion. _How would never be able to look at herself in a mirror again?_ So, her choices were narrowed down to keeping the baby or giving it up to another family. What was the point of going through an entire pregnancy and maybe, even stare at your little creation, before handing it over for someone else to raise?

Tyra's thought's drifted to an alternate reality for a few moments. She was thinking about all the things her baby could have if somebody else took it in. It would have a better life then she could give it, a better future even, but it was _her_ baby. Nobody could deny her that.

"Woo hoo!" Mindy shouted out, startling her kin.

Tyra laughed. It was the first smile to crack her face in a while now. "What the hell, Mind?"

"I'm gonna be an aunt!" She turned around and went back to the kitchen, leaving her sister and mom to talk.

"And I'm gonna be a grandma." Angela seemed a little more excited about the idea but still had her reservations as a parent of a pregnant teen. "Oh, my goodness." She sat back on the couch and took a deep breath.

Tyra leaned back as well. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but in reality, she also thought the load just got a lot heavier.

* * *

**thanks for the read. love to hear what you think.**


End file.
